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Fesenjan

Name: Fesenjan
Total time: 90 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Iran
Ingredients: 500g Chicken Thigh; 250g Walnuts (ground); 150ml Pomegranate Molasses; 1 Onion; 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Salt; A pinch Saffron; 2 cups Rice (to serve)

Main Dish

⏱ 90 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐⭐⭐

Chicken simmered in a sweet-sour sauce of walnuts and pomegranate molasses — a traditional Iranian stew.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Fesenjan is a traditional dish thought to come from Gilan province in northern Iran. Its rich sauce of finely ground walnuts cooked down with pomegranate molasses (rob-e anar) balances sweet and sour. It's usually made with chicken, duck, or meatballs and served at celebrations — one of the most labor-intensive dishes in Iranian cooking.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At a Nowruz (Iranian New Year) feast, deep brown fesenjan is served on a big platter as the whole family gathers.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Chicken Thigh 500g
Walnuts (ground) 250g
Pomegranate Molasses 150ml
Onion 1
Sugar 1 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Saffron A pinch
Rice (to serve) 2 cups

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Grind the walnuts finely in a food processor.
Sauté onion in a pot, add the chicken, and brown.
Add water and the walnuts and simmer gently for about 40 minutes.
Add pomegranate molasses, sugar, and salt and simmer 30–40 minutes more until thick.
Adjust the sweet-sour balance to taste and serve with saffron rice.

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