Los Angeles Persian Restaurants

Chelow kabab (Persian: چلوکباب) is the national dish of Iran. The meal is simple, consisting of steamed, saffroned basmati or Persian rice (chelow) and kabab, of which there are several distinct Persian varieties. This dish is served throughout Iran today, but was traditionally associated with the northern part of the country.

Chelow kabab is served with the basic Iranian meal accompaniments, in addition to grilled tomatoes on the side of the rice, and butter on top of the rice. Somagh (powdered sumac) is also made available, and can be sprinkled upon the rice. It is an old northern tradition (probably originating in Tehran) that a raw egg yolk should be placed on top of the rice, though this is strictly optional and no longer common. In fact, unless specifically requested, most restaurants will not serve the rice this way due to safety concerns surrounding the consumption of raw eggs.

In the old bazaar tradition, the rice (which is covered with a tin lid) and accompaniments are served first, immediately followed by the kababs, which are brought to the table by the waiter, who holds several skewers in his left hand, and a piece of flat bread (typically nan-e lavash) in his right. A skewer is placed directly on the rice and while holding the kabab down on the rice with the bread, the skewer is quickly pulled out. With the two most common kababs, barg and koobideh, two skewers are always served. In general, bazaar kabab restaurants only serve these two varieties, though there are exceptions.

The traditional beverage of choice to accompany chelow kabab is doogh, a Persian sour yogurt drink, flavored with salt and mint, and sometimes made with carbonated water.

You can find authentic Persian Chelow Kabab on many Persian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Ash (Persian: آش), is part of Iranian cuisine, similar to soup but thicker, which is usually served hot. Depending on the type of the ash, it could contain different types of grain, legumes (chick peas, black-eye beans, lentils), vegetables, herbs (parsley, spinach, dill, spring onion ends, coriander, dried mint), onions, oil, meat, garlic, reshteh (in Ash Reshteh) and spices, such as salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron, etc. Depending on the ingredients it can be considered a full meal.

Ash is a very popular dish among Iranians. In the good old days, Iranians were famous for the varieties of ashes they could prepare. There are many stories connected with the preparation of ash and the origin of this dish.

The varieties of ash depend on geographic location and the available ingredients. It can be a very simple meal, prepared inexpensively, or it can be a rich meal if one knows how to spice it properly. Iranians again use their own original spicing for this basically simple meal, but with a touch of true artistry they create a meal as simple yet as exotic as the poetry of Omar Khayyam and as colorful and rich as the miniature paintings of master painters like Behzad.

You can find authentic Persian Ash on many Persian Restaurants in Los Angeles.