Middle Eastern

This tahdig is dressed up with cranberries and woody herbs for a Thanksgiving-y, festive feel.

This refreshing drink Sohla El-Waylly often uses to break fast during Ramadan gives all kinds of holiday vibes.

This Persian stew of tomatoes and spiced eggplant is just the warming dish you need on a cool, fall night.

Doogh, a salty-tangy Persian yogurt drink, is the perfect antidote to a humid summer afternoon. It’s traditionally made with dried mint (and sometimes dried rose petals and/or black pepper), but this recipe employs fresh mint for a boost of bright flavor and color. This drink can be made with flat water, but club soda adds a refreshing fizzy finish.

This Persian rice dish, known as kateh gojeh farangi, is the ideal late summer comfort food. The cinnamon tames the natural acidity of tomatoes, creating a sweet-savory aroma and flavor.

You’ll find all the flavors of Middle Eastern shish barak (tiny lamb and pine nut) dumplings here, but made simpler and brighter with help from dried pasta and plenty of fresh dill.

A fragrant, sweet-and-sour, perfectly acidic roast chicken. 

This recipe is inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich, and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties.

Soaking softens whole grains and shortens cooking time; feel free to sub farro, brown rice, or barley.

High heat and the simplest sauce ever make for roasted veggies that feel like a dish, not an afterthought.

Think of this creamy cashew yogurt as a new, flavorful vessel for your granola or fruit in the morning.

These two-biters are just fudgy and chocolaty enough to satisfy a sweet tooth craving. Consider them an indulgent energy bite: Keep 'em in the fridge, then grab one when the craving hits.

These crunchy garlic chips belong on every steak you make.

Feel free to use whatever fresh chile you can find, but remember that this sauce is supposed to pack some heat.

This simple salad is all about the herbs, so put your best effort into finding the prettiest greens.

Our version of this dip (called borani esfanaaj in Iran) uses spinach, but it can be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant, too.

Starting the chicken skin side down in a cold skillet lets the fat render slowly and results in the crispiest skin imaginable. It also yields a pan of flavorful schmaltz, aka liquid gold.

This shakshuka is the ultimate, don't-even-worry-about-it, weeknight pantry meal.

Sabich, a popular Israeli street food, is a pita-busting combination of a bunch of great appetizers.

This soup is inspired by Ash Reshteh, a thick Iranian soup made with chickpeas, a boatload of herbs, and noodles, with one big exception: We omitted the noodles.