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Fragrant Mixed Herb and Flatbread Salad (Domaaj)

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Photo of Persian recipe for mixed herb and flatbread salad shown on a plate with pomegranate seeds.
Photo by Matt Russell

I first sampled this fragrant salad at a small party at the home of Azadeh Sadeghzadeh, a vivacious young fashion designer from Tehran, and it is now one of my staple dishes whenever I am entertaining. I simply place a big bowl of it in the middle of the table and then let my guests help themselves to bowlfuls as we have a few rounds of drinks. It goes down a treat every time.

The salad works best with strips of Persian flatbread, but if you don’t have time to make your own, and can’t find any in the shops, then plain tortillas work just as well. The addition of golpar, with its citrusy aroma, really lifts this dish, accentuating the sweetness of the pomegranates and adding a wonderful depth of flavor, so try and track some down if you can.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

4-5 pieces Persian flatbread (or toasted tortillas or pitta bread)
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Scant cup feta, crumbled
I small bunch mint, roughly chopped
1 small bunch basil, roughly chopped
1 small bunch tarragon, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. pomegranate seeds, to garnish

For the dressing:

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. golpar (optional)
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using a pair of scissors, cut the flatbread into small jagged pieces and place them in a large bowl.

    Step 2

    Toast the walnuts in a small pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add them to the bowl, along with the crumbled cheese and chopped herbs.

    Step 3

    To make the dressing, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and golpar (if you are using it) with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and then get your hands in there, giving the whole thing a good stir to evenly distribute it.

    Step 4

    Leave the salad for 10 minutes for the flavors to soak into the bread, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with a generous sprinkling of pomegranate seeds just before serving.

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From The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan, copyright © 2016. Reprinted with permission by Bloomsbury USA. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsFlatbreadBreadPersianMiddle EasternWalnutNutFetaCheeseDairyPomegranateFruitSideStarterLunchDinnerVegetarianQuickEasy5 Ingredients or Fewer30 Minutes or LessRamadanCookbooks

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