Food for Nowruz, the Persian and Zoroastrian New Year celebration

For Nowruz, the Persian New Year, chef Tony Esnault and his family will make three dishes that feature a selection of ingredients: The herbs, onions, oranges and lettuce are for a fried fish and herb rice dish, as well as for the herb-heavy kuku-ye-sabzi. The barberries, from left, go in the kuku; the dates go in the lamb dish; the saffron and Persian spice blend go in all the dishes; the walnuts are for the kuku; and the raisins go in the lamb dish.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

March 14, 2017 3:29 PM PT

A selection of herbs and other ingredients, including a Persian spice blend and saffron, will go into making dishes for the Persian New Year. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

It’s traditional to have sweets such as baklava for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Barberry fruit will go into the herb-heavy dish kuku-ye-sabzi.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

It’s traditional to have sweets such as marzipan for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A Persian spice blend goes into the dishes for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Decorated eggs are a Persian New Year tradition.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Walnuts go into the dish called kuku-ye-sabzi, popular during Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Dates go into a toasted noodle and rice dish with lamb and raisins called reshteh polow.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh Herbs Kuku aka Kuku-ye-sabzi, cooked by Chef Tony Esnault, of Spring, his wife Yassmin Sarmadi and mother-in-law Shamsi Katebi for Nowruz. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times )

Chef Tony Esnault, his wife and business partner Yassmin Sarmadi and her mother Shamsi Katebi share a kitchen while preparing dishes for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Dates and raisins go into a toasted noodle and rice dish called reshteh polow.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A chalice of wild rue, (esfand) is meant to keep unquiet spirits at bay. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Chef Tony Esnault, of Spring, Ct, and his mother-in-law Shamsi Katebi cooking for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A dish of Rice with toasted noodles and lamb or Reshteh Polow. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Shamsi Katebi makes her own yogurt a Persian spice blend on top. She also makes her own pickled garlic and vegetables, also known as torshi. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)