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1 MIN READ

Ajeel: Iranian “Trail Mix”

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Dried fruit and nuts are among some of the most important ingredients used during the Passover holiday. Usually some kind of dried fruit (such as raisins, dates, apricots, or figs) is blended with a variety of nuts (such as walnuts, almonds, or pistachios) to make charoset. Other times nuts are ground up finely to replace flour in cakes. In Iran, it is not uncommon to serve Ajeel, small bowls of nuts mixed with raisins, as a snack before or during the Seder, or as part of dessert along with fresh fruit. Like a Persian “Trail Mix,” Ajeel can be a mixture of walnuts, pistachios, almonds, dried roasted chickpeas, dried mulberries, and almost always maveez (Iranian golden raisins). When I was in Great Neck, Long Island recently (cooking a Passover rice dish with an Afghani-Bukharian woman) I was lucky enough to stop into a small Iranian grocery store before jumping on the train back to Manhattan. I grabbed a bag of maveez, as well as fresh dates and roasted chickpeas (all of which the owner hinted at having been “smuggled” in from Iran by unknown sources). I noticed that the shape of the maveez were slightly more elongated, and more chewy/less sticky than the ones found here in the United States. When combined with the dried chickpeas the textures and flavors were addictive.

Tags
ajeel
golden raisins
Iranian raisins
kish mish
maveez
Persian
trail mix

2 Comments

on Ajeel: Iranian “Trail Mix”.
  1. Dahlia Abraham-Klein
    April 11, 2014 @ 11:01 am
    -

    Beautiful photo Jennifer and you really have captured the culture of the Persians.

  2. Jennifer Abadi
    April 11, 2014 @ 11:39 am
    -

    Thank you Dahlia! If you take any nice photos of your Seder, please send one to me and I will post it on the blog for others to see as well!

jenniferabadi

Something to be thankful for during Thanksgiving w Something to be thankful for during Thanksgiving weekend.

Welcome home. Bring them home. 

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FOOD FIGHT!? The latest anti-Israeli petition dem FOOD FIGHT!?

The latest anti-Israeli petition demands a complete boycott of all Israeli restaurants and food labeled Israeli claiming that it is an appropriation of Palestinian cuisine and an attempt to “erase” Palestinian people. While I understand the desire to raise awareness about the foods of the Palestinian people (or any other community) we have to be careful if the means by which we learn about or appreciate one cultural heritage requires an absolute cancellation of another community in the process. 

Palestinians and Israelis, Jews and Arab Muslims, have more in common with one another genetically and historically than our differences. While cultural variations exist, the overall ingredients and techniques used to create and develop particular recipes are often more reflective of a region than a geographical border.

The biggest issue I have with this petition is not with the Palestinians but with those chefs, restaurant owners, and bakery chains who think that by signing it they are automatically elevated to a higher level of authenticity (perhaps we should start a ratings system for this?). I suggest that they be careful where they put their John Hancock because one day they might find themselves in a position of having to share the results of their 23andMe ancestry to apply for a license to prepare hummus. (And as a Jew with Syrian roots I think that my DNA should give me some right to comment.)

So—to Israeli and Jewish chefs, restaurant owners, bakers, and cooks: hang in there! There was once a time in America when only “Freedom fries” were available, and nowadays you can only find the French kind.

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When Upper West Siders go to see the balloons. Ha When Upper West Siders go to see the balloons.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Help me to raise awareness about “Eastern” Jews by emailing me the following info so that I can share it on Instagram:

—A (relatively clear) photo of you or the person whom you would like me to highlight
—The person’s name
—The country that they came from
—The name of a favorite dish from this country/background (please give me official/traditional name + English translation or description)

You can email me with info and questions: Jennifer@JenniferAbadi.com

Thank you!

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It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be 6 wee It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be 6 weeks since the hostages were taken from Israel. The posters persist to remind us of who is still missing, while pieces of tape and ripped paper remind us of those who prefer that we forget. 

Don’t forget. Bring them home. Shabbat shalom.

“Too Good To Passover” and “A Fistful of Lentils” cookbooks available on Amazon.

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Upper West Side, New York. Bring them home. “T Upper West Side, New York. Bring them home. 

“Too Good To Passover” and “A Fistful of Lentils” cookbooks available on Amazon.

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My great-grandmother was born in Hebron, Palestine My great-grandmother was born in Hebron, Palestine. She was a Palestinian Jew. A Syrian Jew. An American Jew. An Israeli. And a New Yorker. She spoke Hebrew. Arabic. And English. She was an amazing baker.

My great-grandfather was born in Aleppo, Syria. He was a Syrian Jew. An American Jew. An Israeli. And a New Yorker. He spoke and wrote in Hebrew. Arabic. And English. He was the rabbi of the Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn.

Please don’t tell me that as Jews they did not belong in any of these places.

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Eating kosher gluten-free bagels on Halloween with Eating kosher gluten-free bagels on Halloween with my friend and colleague Joel Haber visiting from Israel.

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Smoothie bar at JCC Manhattan Fall Fun Fest social Smoothie bar at JCC Manhattan Fall Fun Fest social for BBYO teens. Sign up for my first Teens-only Cooking Social Series: Easy Fun Fad Foods!

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Looking forward to 5784. Shana tova! #roshhashana Looking forward to 5784. Shana tova!

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Jennifer Abadi | Ajeel: Iranian “Trail Mix”