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Yalda means “birth”, and Yalda night refers to the longest night of the year. Yalda Night or Shabe Yalda (Shabe Chelle) is one of the most important ancient annual festival which Iranian people around the world celebrate it on December 21 which is the last night of autumn and first night of winter.
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On Yalda Night, They always gather together in groups of family or friends in grandparents houses to read poems specially Hafez, make good wishes for each other and also to eat nuts, fruits and special foods. If you are recently married in Iran on Yalda Night Your in law family buy different kind of warm clothes and traditional nuts and fruits for you which is called Shabe Chelleii. Designing a table with Yalda night food is really important and fun in Iran . Cookery Magazine will Provide readers What to serve on Yalda night.
Fruits for Yalda Night ceremony
One of the most attractive rituals of Yalda night foods are fruits. you can use variety of fruits but some of the symbolizes special things which must exist on the table.
Pomegranate on Shabe Yalda
Red is the mostly used color on this night. so pomegranate due to its red color is one of the most iconic fruits served on Yalda night. pomegranate symbolizes happiness and sun. also It has been a holy fruit among Zartoshtians.
Watermelon
Watermelon is as a reminder of the warmness of summer on Yalda table and cannot be eliminated from yalda night food list. People believe eating watermelon on Yalda night keep you safe from all the diseases during winter.
Persimmon
Persimmon due to its shiny orange color is a must eat fruit on Shabe Yalda. and its sweetness symbolizes love.
Special Nuts for Yalda night (Ajeel Yalda)
Ajeel means nuts which is one of the most important part of all the Iranian occasion such as Nowruz. Ajeel Yalda includes almond, pistachio, walnut, ground bone and hazelnut. They season the nuts by salt.
also dried fruit can be concluded among yalda night foods like raisins because of its sweetness.
Dinner list for Yalda
Spinach and Pomegranate salad as Yalda night food
This salad is really easy to cook.
Spinach and Pomegranate salad ingredients
| Spinach | 100 gr |
| walnut | half a cup |
| feta cheese | half a cup |
| red onion (cut into thin strip) | half a cup |
| Pomegranate seeds | half a cup |
| Balsamic vinegar | 4 table spoons |
Spinach and Pomegranate salad recipe
The only thing you must do is mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl. your salad is ready!
Ash Anar
Ash Anar is a great option as Yalda night food due to its main ingredient which is pomegranate. Ash Anar is originally from Shiraz and one of the most delicious Iranian Ash.
Ash Anar Ingredients for 4 people
| pomegranate juice | 4 cups |
| pomegranate paste | 3 tablespoons |
| Ash vegetables (the mixture of chives, parsley, cilantro, fried mint, dill, spinach) | 500 gr |
| half-grain rice | 1 cup |
| split pea | 1 cup |
| onion | 3 |
| meat broth | 2 cups |
| ground meat | 300 gr |
| salt, pepper, turmeric powder | as needed |
Ash Anar recipe
- Put soaked for at least 2 hours split peas in a pot and bring it to boil.
- Cut 2 onions into small pieces and saute it with vegetable oil in a pot.
- season your onion with turmeric powder and pepper, then add rice and boiled split peas.
- here, add meat broth, cover the pot and let the grains cook.
- After split peas become soft, put vegetable in pot and let it cook again.
- After about 15 minutes, fist add pomegranate juice, then tomato paste. cover the pot.
- Make meat balls by your ground meat. grate the other onion, add it to ground meat with salt, pepper, turmeric powder and knead them. shape it into small sphere and saute them in hot vegetable oil.
- finally, add meatballs and cook them all together for 1 hour.
- You may garnish it with pomegranate seeds. which makes it fits among Yalda night foods.
Morgh Nardoni or Persian Pomegranate Chicken
Besides Yalda night, Morgh Nardoni can be prepared in normal days of autumn and winter. This food can be served along Persian Rice.
Morgh Nardoni ingredients
| pomegranate juice | 1 cup |
| chicken | 4 pieces |
| onion | 3 |
| tomato paste | 1 tablespoon |
| pomegranate paste | 1 tablespoon |
| pomegranate seeds | 1 cup |
| salt, pepper, turmeric powder | as needed |
| vegetable oil | as needed |
Morgh Nardoni recipe
- cut chicken into cubes and season it by salt, pepper and turmeric powder. put it the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.
- grate the 1 onion and saute it in a pan. then add pepper and turmeric powder
- after 3 minutes, add tomato paste and half of pomegranate paste.
- when the color of the pastes changed, arrange the chicken cubes in it and saute them.
- Pour pomegranate juice and cover the pot until the chicken is completely cooked
- cut the other 2 onions into small pieces, and saute it in a pan with vegetable oil.
- add pomegranate paste and pomegranate seeds with pepper and turmeric.
- when the chicken is cooked about 20 minutes before serving the dish, add the mixture you’ve made to it.
I hope you celebrate this beautiful night with your family and enjoy the foods together. If you have any other option for Yalda night foods, share it with us!
What’s the date of Yalda Night?
December 21 which is the last night of autumn and first night of winter
What should be served on Yalda night?
Special fruits, nuts and foods such as Ash Anar, Pomegranate Salad and so on. we introduce all of them attached with a simple recipe
