Middle Eastern food being my favourite, due to its flavoursome yet mild qualities, I decided to search for vegetarian Persian food.  Iranian friends had produced many Persian delights at Baha’i Holy Days and I even knew of a vegetarian Baha’i who produced the most sumptuous Persian dishes in which the absence of meat was not an issue.  So there had to be a vegetarian Persian cookbook somewhere!

Bingo!  God bless Sally Butcher for her books ‘Persepolis’ and ‘Veggistan’.  I do not even hope to come anywhere near my friends’ level of expertise, but at least I can create a variety of interesting flavours.  So here I begin with a recipe inspired by Persepolis, by Sally Butcher.  By making some rice, I managed to make the Khoresh last for 3 additional portions to follow the delicious chips: 

Cup Split peas

2 red peppers

Onion

Coconut oil

Teasp. Ground turmeric

Black pepper

Salt

3 dried limes

Cherry tomatoes 

Water

Tomato paste

Potato

Coconut oil for frying

1. Soak split peas for 30 minutes
2. Fry onions and peppers
3. Add spices, limes and tomato paste
4. Add water and split peas
5. Bring to the boil, add the tomatoes and then simmer for 30 minutes
6. Prepare and shallow fry chips in the coconut oil – the coconut oil makes the chips crispy and delicious.

Butcher, S., 2016, Persepolis, Vegetarian recipes from Peckham, Persia and beyond, Pavilion Publishing, Shoreham by Sea.

Butcher, S., 2011, Vegistan, a Vegetable Lover’s tour of the Middle East, Pavilion Publishing, Shoreham by Sea.