Originally posted on September 28, 2018 by Shana Bahemat
12Gates is excited to present the first recipe in our monthly series: Food Friday. On the last Friday of each month we will be sharing recipes from the diaspora in connection with our cultures and histories. We believe food brings our communities together and offers space to revisit our memories through the recipes passed down through generations and generations in our families. As the writer for this series, this month I am pleased to share a recipe close to my heart and home for our first Food Friday.
Ease into fall with this comforting and flavorful Persian dish—Khagineh can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, and is for anyone who (like myself) gets random cravings for something subtly sweet. The texture is somewhere between a crepe and a fluffy omelette paired with a delicious homemade saffron rosewater syrup. What I love about this recipe is that you can make it your own and use ingredients that make it a bit more personal to you.
Khagineh is a recipe has been passed down through many generations in my family and comes from the northwestern area of Iran, close to Azerbaijan where my dad’s family is from.
My mom made this dish for the first time for me recently and after the first bite I was immediately curious to know why she had never made this before and what the delicious recipe was!
When I asked her how she learned to make Khagineh, still stunned from the first bite, she explained that she had a sudden craving for it and remembered watching her mom make it for her siblings and her for breakfast when she was younger. It had been over a decade, maybe longer, since she had enjoyed this dish and I was in awe of her muscle memory when she decided to make it again.
What I love about Iranian food is that each dish tells a story. Whether it comes from a specific region in Iran, a childhood memory, a traditional healing remedy, or traditional recipe within the family…there’s always a connection, a story to be told and retold. This is one of the many reasons why I enjoy replicating recipes and learning about different spices that are often used in Persian cooking, especially now in my adulthood. I have many jars in my kitchen full of spices, seeds, and dried herbs sent from my grandmother in Iran. Each ingredient makes its way through the postage in a big box, delivered to my parents home in the states, and later a few of those spices make their way to my kitchen. Including these recipes into my weekly cooking routine helps me feel connected to my identity and homeland. Today, whenever I make Iranian food, I feel like all my ancestors are in the kitchen with me.
I hope you all enjoy making Khagineh in your home as this new season unfolds.
Nooshe jaan!
Recipe Notes:
My mom doesn’t use measurements for her cooking. She generally eyeballs everything (as do I) but below I have provided the best replication of this recipe to help you make this dish.
Most of my ingredients have been sent to me from my grandmother, however, you can find quality ingredients on this list from any local Middle Eastern market.
If you would like to skip the step of making the saffron syrup, try using molasses as a substitute.
This recipe makes enough for two people and can be doubled if needed.
What you will need:
eggs, plain yogurt, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cane sugar, butter, saffron, rosewater, cardamom, cinnamon, and your choice of nuts (I used almonds, pistachios, and walnuts).
For the batter:
2 eggs
2 big spoon fulls of flour (I used unbleached all purpose flour)
2 big spoon fulls of plain yogurt
a pinch of baking powder and salt
Saffron/Rosewater Syrup:
1 cup of cane sugar
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon rosewater
saffron (start with a dash and work your way up, saffron is very strong!
cardamom (I used 4-5 cardamom pods, can also used ground cardamom)
Nuts:
Take a handful of almonds, pistachios, and walnuts (or nuts of your choice) and chop into small pieces. Toss them in a bowl with cinnamon and sprinkle them between the layers of the crepes.
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, and yogurt and whisk together. Mix well.
Place a nonstick pan on medium heat. Pour oil or melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan.
Pour the batter in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the batter is no longer runny and the bottom of the crepe has a golden brown color.
Flip the crepe and cook on the other side for about 1 minute.
Place each finished crepe on a plate and set to the side.
For the saffron/rosewater syrup, in a small sauce pan combine the ingredients and gently stir together until syrup has reached desired thickness. Add water slowly as you stir the mixture to make sure you get the right consistency.
Sprinkle the mixture of nuts with cinnamon on each crepe and add desired amount of syrup. Fold the crepe and continue this step for each one until you are finished.
Serve warm.