10 Irresistible Persian Side Dishes

Introduction

Persian side dishes are like the vibrant partners in your kitchen dance—they don’t steal the spotlight, but boy, they elevate the whole performance! I’m Samuel, and these delicious, colorful Persian sides have a special place in my heart (and on your plate). They’re quick enough for weeknight dinners yet elegant enough for Sunday feasts. If you’re juggling busy days or picky eaters, these gems are here to rescue your meals with minimal fuss and max flavor.

The Best 10 Persian Side Dishes

Dish	Main Ingredients	Flavor	Difficulty	Time
Mast-o-Khiar	Yogurt, cucumber, mint	Cool, tangy, herby	Easy	10–15 min
Shirazi Salad	Tomato, cucumber, onion, lime	Crisp, citrusy	Easy	10 min
Sabzi Khordan	Fresh herbs, radish, feta (optional)	Fresh, earthy	Very Easy	5 min
Kuku Sabzi	Herbs, eggs, walnuts, turmeric	Savory, herby	Medium	25–30 min
Adas Polo Side (Lentils)	Lentils, lemon, turmeric	Earthy, tangy	Easy	20 min
Zeytoon Parvardeh	Olives, pomegranate molasses, garlic, walnuts	Tangy, sweet-savory	Easy	10 min + chill
Borani Bademjan	Eggplant, yogurt, garlic	Smoky, creamy	Medium	30 min
Potato Cakes (Pirashki)	Mashed potatoes, egg, flour	Crispy, comforting	Easy	20 min
Green Beans (Loobia Polo)	Green beans, onion, turmeric	Savory, mild spice	Easy	15–20 min
Persian Pickles (Torshi)	Mixed vegetables, vinegar, garlic, spices	Sour, spiced	Easy	15 min + 48 hrs

1. Mast-o-Khiar (Persian Yogurt & Cucumber Dip)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Persian cucumber, finely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp dried rose petals or sumac (optional garnish)

How to make it:

1. In a bowl, whisk yogurt until smooth.
2. Add cucumber, mint, and garlic.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill for at least 15 minutes so flavors meld.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle with rose petals or sumac for that blush of color.

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2. Shirazi Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 cucumber, finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Handful of fresh parsley or mint, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

How to make it:

1. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion in a bowl.
2. Whisk lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
3. Pour dressing over veggies and toss.
4. Stir in fresh herbs. Let sit 5 min before serving to soften flavors.

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3. Sabzi Khordan (Fresh Herb Platter)

Ingredients:

• Mint, basil, cilantro, tarragon, chopped
• Radishes, thinly sliced
• Green onions, trimmed
• Optional: feta cheese, walnuts, walnuts

How to make it:

1. Chop herbs into manageable sprigs.
2. Arrange herbs, radishes, and onions on a platter.
3. Add small bowls of goat’s cheese or nuts. Serve family-style for grazing.

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4. Kuku Sabzi (Herb Frittata)

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups finely chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, chives
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• Oil for frying

How to make it:

1. Whisk eggs with turmeric, salt, pepper.
2. Stir in herbs and walnuts.
3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat, pour mixture in.
4. Cook 7–8 min until edges set, flip (via plate) and cook another 5 min.
5. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

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5. Adas Polo Side (Lemon Lentils)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp butter or oil

How to make it:

1. Boil lentils in water with turmeric until just tender (~15 min).
2. Drain and stir in butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
3. Serve alongside main dish—it brightens everything instantly.

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6. Zeytoon Parvardeh (Marinated Olives)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp dried mint
• 2 tbsp olive oil

How to make it:

1. Mix molasses, walnuts, garlic, mint and oil.
2. Toss olives in mixture.
3. Let marinate at least 1 hour (overnight is better). Serve cold.

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7. Borani Bademjan (Eggplant-Yogurt Dip)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Optional: chopped mint or walnuts

How to make it:

1. Roast or grill eggplants until skin blisters.
2. Let cool, scoop flesh into a bowl and mash.
3. Stir in yogurt, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Chill 20 min before serving; garnish if desired.

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8. Pirashki-Style Potato Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed potato
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup flour
• Salt, pepper
• Oil for shallow frying

How to make it:

1. Mix mashed potato, egg, flour, salt, and pepper into a soft dough.
2. Shape into small patties.
3. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden on each side (~3 min). Drain on paper towel.

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9. Loobia Polo-Inspired Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 cups trimmed green beans
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp oil

How to make it:

1. Sauté onion in oil until soft.
2. Add beans, turmeric, salt, pepper. Stir for 2 min.
3. Add splash of water, cover, and simmer ~10 min until beans tender-crisp.

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10. Persian-Style Pickled Vegetables (Torshi)

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot, 1 cauliflower floret, 4–6 baby cucumbers, quartered
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
• Garlic, peppercorns, turmeric

How to make it:

1. Pack veggies, garlic, spices into a jar.
2. In a pot, heat vinegar, water, salt, sugar until dissolved.
3. Let cool slightly, pour over veggies. Seal jar and refrigerate at least 48 hr. Keeps ~2 weeks.

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Tips & Tricks

• Prep once, serve often. Dips like Mast-o-Khiar, Borani, and Zeytoon Parvardeh taste better after a chill.
• Uniform cuts = prettier salad. Fine dicing for Shirazi Salad makes it more inviting.
• Fresh herbs matter. For herbal richness in Sabzi and Kuku, avoid wilted bunches.
• Season gradually. Add salt at each step—especially in layered dishes—to balance flavors.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Too much yogurt? Watery Mast-o-Khiar is no fun—drain yogurt overnight in cheesecloth if needed.
• Burned herbs in Kuku? Keep heat moderate and follow the flip-plate trick.
• Crunchy pickles too early? Torshi takes time; rushing will leave veggies hard.

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Wrapping It Up

These Persian side dishes are your secret weapons for spicing up weeknight dinners or delighting weekend guests. From creamy dips to crunchy pickles, they bring balance, color, and surprise to your plate. So, next time you set your table, let these dishes share the spotlight—you (and your loved ones) will be glad you did!

didn’t find your favorite recipes here check out the following:
Hawaiin side dishes
Mexican vegetable side dishes
10 Best Vegetable side dishes
20 Easy Passover side dishes

For more recipes diversity visit my Pinterest.

FAQs About Persian Side Dishes

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