Sabzi Khordan
The herb plate in a glass: aragh, a cordial of tarragon, basil and mint, and fresh lime, with a radish on top.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Aragh sagi (Iranian raisin spirit) | 50 ml | 1⅔ oz |
| Sabzi khordan cordial · homemade, P44 | 25 ml | 0.8 oz |
| Fresh lime juice · homemade, J01 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
Ounces are rounded; measure in ml for accuracy. Homemade items link to their own page.
chilled coupe or Nick & Nora
shaken with ice, served up
a tarragon sprig and a thin slice of red radish floating
The story
No Iranian meal is complete without sabzi khordan, the plate of raw herbs in the middle of the table: tarragon, basil, mint, chives, cress, with radishes and a slab of feta. In Gilan, where it rains and everything grows, the plate is a small garden. Spirit and a sharp lime cordial need nothing else, so we made the cordial out of that plate. Tarragon leads with its soft anise, basil and mint behind, lime zest in the cordial and fresh lime in the shaker. A slice of radish floats on top, pink and peppery, because it was always on the plate. Nothing in it is bought.
Method
- Chill a coupe.
- Shake the aragh, cordial and lime juice with ice for 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into the coupe.
- Float a thin radish slice and add a tarragon sprig.
How it tastes
Green and cold: tarragon’s anise, basil, mint, lime, and the clean raisin spirit holding them up. Dry and clean. The radish gives a peppery bite at the end.
Persian taste: torsh (sour), herbal
Pair it with
- Food: Nan-o-panir-o-sabzi: flatbread, feta, walnuts and the herb plate itself; or mirza ghasemi.
- Sweet: Reshteh khoshkar, the Gilan rice-noodle and walnut sweet.
- Snack: Radishes and feta
Variations
Fizz
Top with 60 ml soda in a highball for a long version.
Gin
A London dry gin works beautifully: the cousin of Gilan Green.
Cucumber
20 ml cucumber juice in the shaker and the lime down to 15 ml.
Balancing tips
- Make the cordial fresh; after ten days the herbs go brown.
- Shake hard and serve at once; the aroma is the point.
- Slice the radish thin, with a mandoline.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: original recipe draft v0.1, not yet taste-tested.
- Test cordial at 20 and 25 ml.
- Try a cress garnish.
Watch it mixed
Follow along
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Rasht, Gilan, imagined
