Vegan Fesenjan A Hearty Persian Stew

What is fesenjan?

Fesenjan, also known as Fensenjoon is a hearty Persian stew with a rich walnut base. Today I am sharing the recipe for one of the best dishes that I came across since starting this journey. It’s the vegan version of an Iranian dish called Fesenjan. This recipe is one of the most loved recipes on my blog and it also got featured on the official website of PETA. I also receive a lot of messages from my lovely readers that they served this dish to their non-vegan friends and they loved it. It’s also one of my favorite recipes on this blog. Another key ingredient in this dish that gives it its unique flavor is pomegranate molasses. It’s a North Iranian dish that is generally made on special occasions.

What goes in vegan fesenjan?

To make this vegan version of fesejan, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients notes

Soya chunk: It’s a by-product of soybean oil. It’s sold in dried form and is easily available in Indian grocery stores and online too.Vegetable bouillon cube: Instead of bouillon cube, vegetable stock can also be used.Pomegranate molasses: It’s a thick sweet and sour syrup made with pomegranate juice and sugar. This molasses is used in a lot of Middle Eastern recipes.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest. Step 3: Put the walnut powder in a cooking pot. Step 4: Dry roast on low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the walnut powder starts releasing oil. Keep stirring in between. Step 5: Add water to the roasted walnuts and let it boil. Step 6: Once the water starts boiling, add vegetable bouillon, pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Step 7: Mix everything and cook covered for about an hour. Keep checking and stirring in between. Step 8: After about an hour of cooking, the stew will become slightly thicker and get a rich brown color. Step 9: While the walnut stew was getting cooked, soak the soya chunks in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Step 10: Heat oil in a separate cooking pot and add chopped onion. Step 11: Cook until the onion starts turning brown. Add turmeric powder and saute for a few seconds. Step 12: Add chopped potatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring in between. Step 13: Squeeze out the water from soaked soya chunks and add to the potatoes. Step 14: Stir fry for 2-3 minutes and then add around ½ a cup of water. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Steps 15 and 16: Add cooked walnut stew and mix everything. Step 17: Cook for 30 minutes. Keep stirring after every 10-15 minutes. Step 18: Garnish with pomegranate arils and parsley. Your delicious vegan fesenjan is ready to be enjoyed.