Cuisine and culture

US-BASED Iranian chef and cook-book author Najimieh Batmanjlij has returned to Bahrain to witness first-hand the developments at the Isfahani Restaurant at the Seef Extension.

She first visited the kingdom last May, accepting an invitation from the restaurant’s owners to share her expertise and knowledge.

Rameen Al Qaseer, one of the owners of Isfahani Restaurants, said: “We have been around for 15 years and with this new branch we wanted to do something different … something that highlighted the authenticity as well as contemporary and modern Iranian ideals.”

Chef Najimieh has written six celebrated and elaborate cookbooks about Iran’s heritage and traditions in spite of suffering from dyslexia.

She said: “It is a difficult task to write a cookbook. You have to be very precise with the ingredients because a slight change in the measurements can ruin the entire dish 

“A country’s cuisine is part of its culture and heritage. I do a lot of research work for my books on Iran. I want the second generation Iranians to feel proud of who they are and where they originally come from.”

Chef Najimieh is an inspiration to food enthusiasts not just in the US or Iran but the world over. Mr Rameen explained: “My brother, Elyas, first came across a book written by her in London. We loved her work and came up with this idea to invite her to our restaurant.

“In fact one of her readers was in the restaurant and was completely stunned to meet her – he instantly recognised Chef Najimieh from a photograph in one of her books!”

Chef Najimieh began cooking in 1976 after returning home to Tehran, Iran from the US.

“As a child my mother would never let me enter the kitchen. I always wanted to cook but she would ask me to forget about it and go study. She used to say that a woman has plenty of time to learn.

“Now I was determined to gather up as much information as possible.”

Armed with a small notebook she started taking lessons from her mother, aunt and their friends.

“Normally, they would never share a recipe but fortunately with me they felt safe because I was much younger and I had been to ‘America’.

“I don’t think anyone should hide recipes. That’s why I began to write books … so that I could share my recipes and educate the second generation Iranians living abroad on our history and heritage.

“I also get letters from ladies who have married Iranian men asking me to give tips on dishes because their mother-in-laws will not share their recipes!”

Chef Najimieh moved to France at the time of the Iranian revolution. Her new neighbours were intrigued by her cooking techniques so much that one suggested she write a cookbook.

In 1984 her first one was published entitled Ma Cuisine d’Iran. In 1991, she moved to the US with her husband where she started giving cooking lessons and although she tried to have her book translated into English she had trouble finding a willing publisher. Determined to spread the message, the couple opened their own publishing house – Mage Publishers – and never looked back.

Chef Najimieh aims to bring the authentic tastes and flavours of Iran into the kitchens of the West by making the recipes simple to follow and easy to prepare.

The most prevalent ingredients in her cooking are pomegranate, pistachios and lots of spices, predominantly saffron.

“I love saffron and I use a lot of it,” she explained. “It has a beautiful colour and has lots of nutritional value. Saffron is an aphrodisiac and so it makes you happy when you have it.”

She continues to hold classes in Persian cooking as well as writing books and traveling around the world and learning about new cultures and cuisines. 

She lives with her husband and two sons, Zal, 27 and Rostom, 23, in Washington DC.

Chef Najimieh added: “The most important thing while cooking is that you must keep smiling. I believe in energy – you pass that positive energy into a good dish.”

To Gulfweekly readers new to Iranian cuisine she shares one of her special recipes, below.