Persian Food in Summer

I have just finished producing my latest book ‘Pardiz,a Persian food journey’. I spent the first 9 years of my life living in a house set in a paradise garden in Tehran, surrounded by high walls and filled with flowering plants, fruit trees, brimming water tanks and a collection of pet animals. This garden was my paradise, my dream world. Persian food has been famous for centuries. With its shared plates, subtle flavours and emphasis on fresh, healthy ingredients, it is extremely well suited to the way we live today.
I am a tremendous fan of broad beans, so this is one of my very favourite dips. Fresh beans are best, but frozen ones are fine – and you do not have to peel them twice!

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 400 gm peeled broad beans (tough outer skin as well)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ½ a bunch of fresh dill, chopped
• ½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/3 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 700 gm mast-e chekideh

Gently fry the garlic (do not let it burn) and turmeric.
Add the broad beans.
Add 1/3 cup water.
Salt and pepper
gently for 5 minutes, with the lid on.
Let it cool.
Add the lime juice.
Mix the mast and dill through the beans.
Refrigerate before serving