Celebrate Independence Day with a Persian culinary journey by Nasrin Karimi in Chennai

The Hindu

5 days ago

If you wish to experience a truly heartfelt meal infused with love, nostalgia and tradition, look no further than the authentic Iranian–Persian home-cooked creations of Nasrin Karimi. From the almond gum and sabja seed based lemon drink to the Persian ice cream infused with saffron and rose water, Nasrin crafts meals that bring together delicate flavours and aromas.
On August 15, Nasrin will curate an exclusive Persian dinner, bringing the rich aromas and flavours of Iran to Chennai. The pop-up menu will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as saffroni paneer, mutton kobideh kabab, veg berry polov, orange peel rice, Shiraz mushroom, ghelyeh mahi — fish cooked in a tangy sauce — khoresht-e bamieh, a hearty mutton and ladies' finger stew, and prawn biryani.
'I arrived in Chennai (then Madras) in 1980 during the Iranian revolution, to pursue undergraduation at Queen Maris College and never left the city. After four decades of living here, I have understood the people and culture of this heritage city,' says Narsin, who is originally a stained-glass artist, and transitioned into professional cooking when invited to cater for the students of the American International School. Later in 2010, she was invited to open a café at Cholamandal Artists' Village—thus inaugurating the Shiraz Art Café. She then shifted the restaurant to Neelankarai beach front.
Presently, Nasrin only conducts Persian food festivals across the country and caters from her home on pre-orders.
Over a leisurely lunch at her residence, we are treated to Iranian home-style cooking. Her melt-in-the-mouth chelow kabab, tender and perfectly grilled meat, is paired with mint chutney.
'I learnt my Persian cooking simply by watching my mother,' she recalls. 'I perfected each dish through trial and error. Persian food is inherently healing — we use dry fruits, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and herbs generously in our cuisine. I've also learnt to adapt traditional Iranian recipes to what's available locally. For example, I use lemon as the souring agent instead of sour grape juice.' she says, serving a prawn cocktail in a martini glass, which has succulent grilled prawns immersed in a yogurt-based sauce that has a hint of garlic and lemon, sprinkled with chilli flakes.
The golden, aromatic saffron rice is the centrepiece of Iranian meals, and is served alongside a rich mutton and eggplant gravy. The highlight of this rice dish is tahdig (which means crispy crust formed at the bottom of the vessel). For the Maash polov (pulav) or the Orange polov, Nasrin blends green moong, dill leaves, onion, coriander, and orange peel.
'We always keep fresh mint leaves, a sliver of lemon, and raw onions on the side and eat them along with the meal. Apart from this, we also serve tomato-cucumber-onion salad and Iranian pickled vegetable with single-pod garlic we source from Iran. Of course, I make my own Apple Cider vinegar and use it in pickles and salad,' Nasrin says. The feast concludes with a serving of traditional Persian ice cream — saffron-rich, rosewater-infused, and sprinkled with pistachios — a sweet ending that left us longing for just one more bite.
On August 15, celebrated chef Nasrin Karimi will curate an exclusive Persian dinner, bringing the rich aromas and flavours of Iran to Chennai. The pop-up menu will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as saffroni paneer, mutton kobideh kabab, veg berry polov, orange peel rice, Shiraz mushroom, ghelyeh mahi — fish cooked in a tangy sauce — khoresht-e bamieh, a hearty mutton and ladies' finger stew, and prawn biryani. The meal will end on a sweet note with honey and fig ice cream and tarhalva, a fragrant Iranian custard.
This special dinner will be hosted at Sea Thru Diner, located within VGP Universal Kingdom on ECR, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and is priced at ₹1,700 plus taxes.