You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy delicious meat-free meals. Persian food offers a variety of dishes made without meat that you should give a try. They tantalize the taste buds and keep you full. Below, learn more about several popular dishes so you can try one next time you visit a Persian restaurant. 

A Guide to Meat-Free Persian Meals

1. Kashke Bademjan

The main ingredient is an oven-roasted eggplant. This Persian dish combines the eggplant with kashk, a fermented by-product commonly made with yogurt whey, mashed together until creamy, sauteed onions, garlic, and spices, including turmeric or mint. Some Persian food restaurants might add chopped nuts. The dish is typically served as an appetizer and can be the main meal, served with bread like lavash, pita or naan. 

2. Mirza Ghasemi

Another popular Persian food is typically served as a dip but can be filling enough to eat as a main meal. For this dish, smoked roasted eggplant combines with tomatoes and garlic. The eggplant is charred and smoked and then cooled and peeled. A tomato-based sauce gets cooked almost dry, and an egg stirred in finishes the dish. Add fresh herbs and ground black pepper for garnish. 

3. Falafel

Traditionally, chickpeas are used to make these deep-fried balls or patties. Fresh herbs and spices like parsley, cilantro and dill, cumin, coriander, and cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes combine with the beans, along with aromatics such as onions, garlic and shallots. This Persian dish is a popular street food in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel and has made it to the U.S., where it is widely enjoyed in restaurants and sold by street vendors. The fried bean patties get served on pita sandwiches with pickles, hot sauce, tahini, and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.

4. Khorosht Bademjoon

Typically, this stew made of tomatoes and spiced eggplant includes lamb or beef but is just as savory without the meat. This delicious Persian food calls for cooking the eggplant in single layer batches in oil until browned and then removed and salted. Onions get softened and browned in the same pot, and turmeric and cinnamon get sprinkled on top with salt and pepper. 

Tomato paste then gets stirred in along with whole tomatoes that are cooked until they burst. Eggplant is returned to the pot and nestled into the sauce. Water and dried lemon, pierced with a paring knife, are added to the pot. The stew is ready when thick, and the eggplant has a creamy texture. It's typically served over rice.

If you are feeling adventurous and ready to try fine meat-free Persian food, check out Sufi's Kitchen. This Atlanta, GA, eatery is known for preparing tasty, authentic fare using only fresh, wholesome ingredients. When dining in their establishment, you will love their friendly atmosphere and extensive drink selection. Delicious Persian food is also available for takeout for your convenience. Visit the website to check out their menu today, or call (404) 888-9699 for more information.