Leila - North Iran (for mobile viewing, view in landscape)
Experience Schedule (menus below)
|
ONLINE: Monday August 9th 6:00pm-7:30 PDT
20 spots available
|
Leila-North Iran: Baghali Polo ba morgh (Fava bean rice with saffron chicken) |
$25.00 |
Sign up now |
|
ONLINE: Thursday Sept 16th 6:00pm-7:30pm PDT
20 spots available
|
Learn to make Persian Rice (Tahdig) and Aloo Mosamma |
$25.00 |
Sign up now |
|
ONLINE: Monday Sept 20 6:00pm-7:30pm
20 spots available
|
Learn to make Persian Rice (Tahdig) and Aloo Mosamma |
$25.00 |
Sign up now |
Private online experiences:
A great way to connect with family who live far away, and during this time when we cannot gather in person. A fun way to spend time with friends, and a great team building activity for companies, schools, parent groups and clubs. Any group!
Online experiences:
All online culinary adventures include interactive cooking instruction and a pdf packet with our host's family recipes. Culinary adventures are 1.5 hours in duration, and are co-hosted with In My Kitchen founder Paula Mohammed, on zoom. Our online culinary adventures require a minimum of 4 registrants to ensure they go ahead as scheduled.
Here’s how it works:
After registration you’ll receive an email with your shopping list and equipment list. A day before your experience you will receive your zoom link and recipe packet.
At the scheduled time of your culinary adventure, you’ll click on the Zoom link and join your session live! Afterwards, you will receive a link to a video recording of your experience that you can revisit at your leisure.
Cooking with Leila
When you meet Leila, you will feel you have made a new lifelong friend. Leila's generous hospitality and passion for people and cooking is infectious. There is nothing Leila loves more than introducing her recipes and food to new friends.
Leila-North Iran: Baghali Polo ba morgh (Fava bean rice with saffron chicken)
Baghali Polo ba morgh: Saffron marinated chicken with Persian dill and fava bean rice (Vegetarian option)
This is a colorful fragrant dish, the mixture of fluffy rice, aroma of dill, and the buttery texture of the fava bean will leave you wanting more, especially if you pair it with that delicious juicy chicken. This dish is a traditional favourite and a must have at any gathering. For a vegetarian option, the chicken is not included.
Shirazi Salad
A simple and bright Persian cucumber and tomato salad.This quick no-lettuce salad accompanies many Persian entrees.
Learn to make Persian Rice (Tahdig) and Aloo Mosamma
Tahdig
Tahdig translates to "bottom of the pot", the rice is cooked until it creates a crispy bottom. Leila fries the rice with butter and saffron and layers the rice into the pot. The trick is knowing when the rice has cooked long enough to get the sought after "Tahdig".
Aloo Mosamma
There are many traditional Persian dishes, but this chicken dish (vegetarian option) is not to be missed. There are many variations, Leila will show you her way of making Aloo Mosamma, which is a typical Northern Iran style that includes plums.
The addition of the plums makes this an excellent stew with many health benefits (plums are great for liver health and digestion), also can be made vegetarian.
Get to know Leila:
Where were you born?
I was born in Rasht, Iran.
Rasht is a very unique area of Iran and is near the Caspian sea.
Can you tell us a little bit about your family?
Both of my grand mothers had roots connected to Baku (Capitol of Azerbaijan).
I was raised in a mixed food culture, two very strong food cities (Rasht and Tabriz)
My grandpa moved from Tabriz (a city at the border of turkey) to my city to start a rice exporting business, later my dad took over the business and I grew up learning what is the best rice and how to cook it .
When and how did you develop your love for cooking?
Since I was a little girl ,my mom had an older lady who helped her at home, l would always sit next to her in the kitchen watch her and my mom do all the preparations. My mom is a very patient lady, she would let me cook and bake and make a huge mess.
How do you express your love for cooking and culture?
I love to cook and bake it¹s therapeutic for me. I love to mix ingredients and create new recipes,I really enjoy cooking for friends and family it¹s very satisfying for me.
What are some of your favourite ingredients to use?
I love to use saffron, we call it the happy spice. Eggplant, I can make endless dishes with eggplant, last but not least RICE !
What makes Iranian cuisine special?
Iranian cuisine is special because we have lots of varieties ,lots of whole foods, great use of spices and lots of nutritional foods.
Do you have a cooking philosophy?
Yup the famous one! The way to anybody¹s heart is through their stomach:)
