The Americanization of an Ancient Holiday

At the approach of Nouruz, spring was in the air. There was a change in the quality of light; buds appeared on the bare branches, and sudden downpours of warm rain left everything glistening in the soft sun . . . . I knew . . . that winter was gone for good.

Shusha Guppy, “The Blindfold Horse”

The Nouruz of 1977 was the happiest of Sharifeh Saee’s life.

“It was a very good celebration,” she remembers. “My daughter had just been married and we had a new family in the house. For five days we had a party--people for lunch and dinner every day and music all the time. The house was full of flowers; there were fruits and pastries everywhere.”

That was also the year Dora Levy Mahboubi knew she had to leave Iran.

“I sensed a certain stirring,” she says. “It was not very obvious, but if you read the papers and heard what was going on, there was a certain discontent. It came straight from the bazaar, as we say. Being Jews in a Muslim country, we were much more sensitive to it and much more scared of it.”

By 1978 all of Iran sensed the discontent and by 1979 the whole world did, as the Khomeini revolution overthrew the shah and the great migration of Iranians to this country began. Today, there are about 800,000 Iranians in Southern California.

And it’s a safe bet, for this one week at least, most of them are thinking about Iran.

“I remember Nouruz as being the most beautiful time of year in Iran,” says Mahboubi, seated in the dark, wood-paneled family room of her palatial home above the Beverly Hills Hotel. In Iran, Mahboubi’s family owned one of the largest chewing gum companies in the Middle East. Now an American citizen, she has earned a degree in English from UCLA, holds a master’s in professional writing from USC and has written two novels about Iran.

“You cannot imagine,” she says. “It is the first day of spring. There are flowers and cherry blossoms everywhere. The streets in Tehran are lined with plane trees and cherry trees and everywhere you can smell the flowers.

“When you are in Iran during that week, or month even, you can feel there is something happening. You can see the sabzi (sprouts) growing on people’s window ledges. Everyone is out buying new clothes and shopping, and the stores are all lit with little bulbs. It’s like Christmas here. It’s in the air.”

Here in Southern California, says Mimi Farahmand, who was educated as a child psychologist but works in a Beverly Hills hair salon as a colorist, “(Nouruz) is nothing, just one night going out to a few different parties where they sell tickets for dances.”

Farahmand’s parents still live in Iran, along with her younger sister. Another sister lives with her in Los Angeles in her home in Beverly Glen. Farahmand is a self-taught cook who came to the United States with nothing but an educated palate.

“I never cooked in our country, and I was always a very picky eater,” she says, dishing up samples of her delicate version of sabzi polo ( basmati rice fragrant with herbs), her moist, eggy kuku-ye sabzi (a thick omelet or frittata, also made with herbs) and a delicious dish of her own invention, veal shanks braised with quince and prunes.

“When I moved here,” she says, “I just decided to cook. I thought about how things came together, but I didn’t ask anybody for recipes. I just did it. And from the beginning, I never botched a meal. (In Iran) I supervised the cooking at home, but I never cooked myself. We always had cooks in the house, and it was our job to see that everything was perfect. Still, I guess I learned the taste.”

Unlike most modern emigres, who make the decision to leave their homes and come to the United States in search of economic opportunities and a brighter future, most Iranians had little choice in the matter. With the Khomeini revolution, change came swiftly and unalterably. A society was turned on its head.

“It is unbelievable, people could come and take everything you had,” says Saee, who now co-owns the Atwater restaurant Osteria Nonni with her husband, Mohammad, a former colonel in the Iranian army. “It was like the gangs here, except they were in control. A 16-year-old boy with a gun could walk into your house and take everything.”

Saee’s food is more ornate than Farahmand’s and the flavors are more baroque. At a lunch of traditional Nouruz dishes in her Beverly Hills condominium, the ash-e reshteh , an herb-laden bean and noodle soup, is a deep, majolica green shiny with oil, with yogurt folded in a pale spiral and a sprinkling of golden brown fried garlic on top. The centerpiece sabzi polo is a volcano-shaped mound of herb-flecked rice with vivid golden saffron-tinged rice as the lava. The golden fried white fish, mahi , and the crusty rice from the bottom of the pot ( tah dig ) are strewn across the base. Dessert, a pungently saffron-y rice pudding called shol-e zard, looks almost like a Persian carpet, with dark-brown cinnamon and chopped green pistachios against the golden rice. And as at all Persian feasts, the table is liberally set with plates of fresh herbs, scallions and radishes along with fresh cheese and walnuts that are wrapped up in the tortilla-like flatbread called sangak and with pungent pickles--including whole heads of garlic and tiny eggplants.

Even though Mahboubi saw the revolution coming, it is still difficult for her to grasp the reality of it. “Sometimes I think this is just a nightmare and it will go away; it will not last. But it has been 14 years and there is no way now. I cannot believe there have been 14 years of this going on.”

For Farahmand’s friend Leila Bakhtiar Farzad, the daughter of a major landowner and the niece of the shah’s last prime minister, the change was particularly abrupt.

“You read about revolutions in books and think you know everything about it,” she says. Farzad is now the manager of the Gianni Versace boutique on Rodeo Drive owned by Mahboubi’s daughter Carolyn. “But it really has no meaning until you wake up one day and literally have nothing. You are literally homeless. They don’t want you or your kind of people any more. In Iran, the educated people, the old families, simply are not welcome.”

Saee tried to stay on in Iran afterward. “The government did not show its true face at first,” she says. “It made a lot of promises. There was actually free speech, and a lot of political prisoners were released. At first it seemed like almost a good thing. I thought this new government might do something for the country.

“But it got worse little by little. First they started arresting people. Then they started to kill people. I can’t believe I stayed like that. The first time they killed people . . . I just couldn’t believe it.”

By 1982, when she finally left, the government had become so repressive she was forced to flee in the night. A five-day journey on camelback, carrying her 3-year-old grandson, took her to the Pakistani border, where she could safely risk another form of transportation. “It was a very difficult 1,700 miles,” she says.

Now, her family is well established in the United States. Her son is an architect and her son-in-law is a doctor. She and her husband own the restaurant and she has a design store next door, called Sharifeh. They, along with assorted family and friends--both Iranian and non-Iranian--will gather to celebrate Nouruz as they have for the last several years.

“When I refer to Iran, for me it is the Iran before, not now,” Saee says. “How can I think of it when it is like this? The Iran I knew, people could walk around and talk and enjoy themselves. Now, you have some kid with a gun telling you you can’t go outside without your chador (veil). You can’t even wear nail polish or makeup. You can’t trust your sister and you can’t trust even your first friend. Everybody changes. If you say one day that you think maybe this government isn’t doing good things, well, tomorrow they could arrest you.”

But for Nouruz, when the table is set with the seven items of the haft-sin , when the sabzi polo , mahi and ash-e reshteh are cooking and the wheat grass sprouts are growing, it will be the old country that is in the minds of Los Angeles’ Iranian community.

“I wish I could take my American friends back to Iran before the revolution,” says Mahboubi. “They would see that this is an ancient culture that is so ingrained in the people. I want (Americans) to know that we are not what you have seen on TV. We are not those people who took hostages and then paraded them. In fact, we are here because we didn’t want to be part of that.

“All of us tend to clump societies into one, but if you can separate politics out for a moment, you will see us for what we really are and you will find that we are a very warm-hearted, hospitable people.”

Sabzi polo is the central dish not only of Nouruz meals, but of Persian cuisine in general. For Nouruz, it is generally served with broiled white fish. One of the hallmarks of a good sabzi polo is tah dig, the large pieces of crusty rice that stick to the bottom of the pan. This can be achieved only through careful stove-top cooking. And it helps to use a non-stick pan. The oven version is delicious as well, though not so authentic.

Usually, all of these dishes are served at once, as a buffet, along with a basket of herbs, feta cheese and nuts (nan-o panir-o sabzi khordan) and various prepared cold dishes and pickles (torshi-e bademjan, torshi-e sir, nazkhatun), which can be purchased at Persian or Middle-Eastern groceries.

SHARIFEH SAEE’S SABZI POLO (Herbed Rice)

4 cups basmati rice

4 tablespoons salt

1 pound Italian parsley

1/2 pound fresh chives or green onion tops

1/2 pound fresh dill

3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, optional

1 pound cilantro

1 cup melted butter

4 leeks, cleaned and left whole

1 teaspoon powdered saffron

Rinse rice by swishing in large bowl with abundant water 5 or 6 times or until water is clear. After last rinsing, add salt and fresh water to cover and soak rice 2 to 4 hours.

Wash, dry and finely chop parsley, chives, dill, garlic and cilantro. Mix herbs together in bowl.

Boil 1 quart water in heavy pot. Add salted soaking water, reserving rice. When water returns to boil, add rice and large handful mixed chopped herbs. Stir and let rice boil 10 minutes. Stir twice during cooking, gently so as not to break long kernels.

Drain rice in colander (it will still be somewhat hard). Wash off excess salt with 2 cups warm water.

Rinse pot. Mix 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 cup boiling water in small bowl or cup. Add 1/2 butter-water mixture to pot, reserving rest. Using spatula begin adding rice. Scatter 1 spatula of rice into pot, then 1 handful of herbs. When half of rice is layered in pot lay whole leeks on top. Finish layering rice and herbs. Drizzle remaining butter-water mixture over rice. Wrap lid with dish towel to catch excess steam, cover pot and steam rice over low heat 45 minutes. (Casserole can also be covered with foil and placed in 350-degree oven 45 minutes.)

Mix saffron with remaining melted butter and 1 tablespoon hot water. Stir 1/2 cup cooked rice into saffron mixture. Set aside.

Carefully lift herbed rice out of pot with spatula and fluff onto serving platter. Scatter saffron-rice mixture over top of rice. Serve leeks on side. Scrape crusty rice, Tah Dig, from bottom of pot and scatter around base of rice. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

620 calories; 3,843 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 2.4 grams fiber; 35% calories from fat.

SHARIFEH SAEE’S MAHI

1 1/4 cups flour

Salt, pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground saffron

2 1/2 pounds fresh whitefish fillets

Corn oil for frying

Lime wedges for garnish

Mix flour, salt and pepper to taste and saffron in pie pan. Dredge fish in flour mixture.

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough fish fillets to cover bottom and saute approximately 3 minutes on each side until fish is golden brown.

Remove fish to warmed serving platter. Add more oil and repeat until all fish is cooked. Garnish with lime wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

219 calories; 135 mg sodium; 113 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; trace fiber; 19% calories from fat.

SHARIFEH SAEE’S KUKU-YE SABZI (Herbed Omelet)

2 cups finely chopped chives

2 cups finely chopped Italian parsley

2 cups finely chopped cilantro

2 lettuce leaves, cleaned and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

6 eggs

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash powdered saffron

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons corn oil

Mix chopped chives, parsley, cilantro, lettuce and garlic in small bowl. In separate bowl vigorously beat eggs and cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper to taste and flour. Add herbs to egg mixture and beat until well combined.

Heat oil in 6-inch skillet over low heat. Add egg mixture, cover and cook on top of stove about 5 minutes until it begins to set. Transfer to 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Omelet should be well set when done, like frittata. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

120 calories; 91 mg sodium; 159 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.8 grams fiber; 70% calories from fat.

SHARIFEH SAEE’S SHOLE-E ZARD (Rice Pudding)

2 cups basmati rice

1/2 cup unsalted butter

6 cups water

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon powdered saffron in 1/2 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/2 cup rose water

Powdered cinnamon

1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts, chopped

Rinse rice by swishing in large bowl with abundant water 5 or 6 times or until water is clear. Add rice and butter to water in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil. When rice is boiling add sugar, saffron and cardamom. Simmer until rice is completely broken apart and mixture is thick like custard, approximately 45 minutes. Add rose water last 5 minutes of cooking.

Pour rice pudding into serving bowl. When it sets up at room temperature, garnish pudding by making design with powdered cinnamon and pistachio nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

680 calories; 6 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 138 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.3 grams fiber; 18% calories from fat.

DORA MAHBOUBI’S ASH-E RESHTEH

1/4 cup dried red kidney beans

1/4 cup dried navy beans

1/4 cup dried garbanzo beans

3 onions, finely sliced

3 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

10 cups water

1/2 cup dried lentils

1 cup homemade beef broth

1/2 cup coarsely chopped chives or green onions

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dill

1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

2 cups fresh or frozen chopped spinach

1 beet, cooked, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 pound flat egg noodles, or reshteh

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup liquid kask (whey), or sour cream

Soak dried red kidney, navy and garbanzo beans overnight in water to cover.

Brown onions in oil in large pot. Add salt, pepper and turmeric. Pour in water. Drain kidney, navy and garbanzo beans and add to pot. Cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Add lentils and beef broth. Cook another 35 minutes.

Add chopped green onions, dill, parsley, spinach and beet. Cook 20 minutes. Stir from time to time until done. Add water if soup is too thick.

Add noodles and flour and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are cooked and soup is slightly thickened.

Fold in kask, or stir 2 tablespoons of hot soup into sour cream and then fold mixture back into soup. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

213 calories; 566 mg sodium; 20 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 1.7 grams fiber; 35% calories from fat.

MIMI FARAHMAND’S VEAL SHANKS WITH PRUNES AND QUINCE

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

4 veal shanks, about 2 1/4 pounds

Salt, pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 quince, cut in 8 pieces and cored

20 prunes, unpitted

In skillet with tight-fitting lid, saute onion in butter until light golden. Season veal shanks to taste on both sides with salt and pepper, then add to pan. Cook on one side 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and repeat on other side. Sprinkle with cinnamon and turmeric. Add tomato paste and water and mix well.

Add quince and prunes, cover and cook over low heat 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until veal is tender and liquid has reduced and thickened. Add additional water to pot as needed. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

405 calories; 277 mg sodium; 185 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 48 grams protein; 1.4 grams fiber; 22% calories from fat.