Torshvash is a Gilani dish, take its name from a special sour-tasting wild herb, grown in Northern Iran.
Torshvash is a wood sorrel plant and is in the Oxalis family. There are many different members of the Oxalis family, comprising about 570 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa.
All green-leaved varieties are an edible wild plant that has been consumed by humans around the world for millenniaas. They have an acidic taste reminiscent of the sorrel proper.

Across Iran, but particularly in the northern regions, herbs are treated like vegetables as a main ingredient, rather than a garnish.
This dish is a rich stew made with a combination of particular herbs, chicken with fried tomato and aubergine then like all other Persian stews are served with Persian rice.
Torshvash being a stew made distinctly tart with additional ab Nareng (bergamot orange) or ab ghooreh (unripe grape juice) is one of the most authentic tastes you can try from the Iranian cuisine.

This mildly sour dish takes me back to my childhood days that my grandma would harvest tomatoes and eggplants from her backyard, slicing them in the morning and baking them in the oven and as kids coming back from the play we would take a slice of bread and steal some fried eggplants and enjoy it while she was cooking. The taste of the eggplants in that mildly sour sauce is still under my tongue to this day and this is why I have chosen Torshvash for this post.
I have heard from many cooks all around the world that if you cook delicious food you cannot leave the house. Now that the world is on pause, it’s a great time to nourish our souls through nourishing our bodies with a simple local dish from the north of Iran, Gilan, called, Torshvash.

As this dish requires quite unique herbs which probably won’t be available to many outside of Iran this recipe is an alternative replica to the actual Torshvash

Torshvash ingredients

  • Onion
  •  Garlic
  • Chicken breast
  • Chopped wood sorrel, parsley, cilantro, chives, mint, green onions, spinach
  • abghooreh (unripe grapes juice) or bergamot orange or Lemon juice
  • Pomegranate molasses or Sour plum paste
  • Eggplants
  • Tomatoes
  • Salt
  • Turmeric
  • Vegetable oil
  • Hot water

Toshvash | Persian sour stew

How to cook Torshvash?

To cook Torshvash, fry one chopped onion in vegetable oil for a rich base and add the minced fresh garlic to the pan to add to the richness. The smell of garlic is a very usual odor in the kitchens of the north of Iran. After about 5 minutes add the chopped green herbs to this pan until they are lightly cooked. If you don’t have access to wood sorrel, you might be able to find the dried herb in your local Persian store. Add 1 cup of hot water and close the lid for 20 minutes for them to cook. For any of the fresh green herbs, you can simply replace them with dried herbs.

cooking torshvash, Persian sour stew

Meanwhile, in a different pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the coated chicken breast with turmeric and salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
Slice the tomatoes and eggplants in ratatouille style. With a spray of olive oil and a pinch of salt place them in the oven on 350 Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes or until they are cooked. If you don’t have an oven you can simply sauté them in a pan.

How to make Torshvash, persian sour stew

Once they are all cooked, add the chicken to the base of the stew and add the sour plum paste. Even though the original recipe calls for sour plum paste, you can replace it with pomegranate molasses for the sour taste. Pomegranate molasses can be found at Middle Eastern markets around you, or you can easily make some with some pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon by heating them until you get a paste texture.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes and then add the tomatoes and eggplants and close the lid for another 7 minutes. Just 2 minutes before serving, add salt and abghooreh (unripe grapes juice) and your stew will be ready. Instead of abghooreh (unripe grapes juice) you can use bergamot orang or Lemon juice for the additional sour taste!

Torshvash, persian sour stew recipe

Serve this stew on Persian rice and eat it with pickled vegetables or Persian cucumber yogurt. Enjoy!

Torshvash, persian sour stew

Vegetarian Torshvash

If you are a vegetarian or want to eat more vegetables, you can simply replace the chicken with double the amount of eggplants in the recipe or fried tofu and enjoy your vegetarian Torshvash.

Torshvash

Fatemeh
A rich stew made of chicken breast, tomatoes, eggplants and fresh herbs.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Persian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Onion (large) Chopped
  • 2 Garlic Clove Minced
  • 2 Chicken breasts
  • 2 Tomatoes Sliced
  • 2 Eggplants Sliced
  • 3 tbsp Wood Sorrel Chopped
  • 2 tbsp Parsley Chopped
  • 2 tbsp Cilantro Chopped
  • 2 tbsp Chives Chopped
  • 2 tbsp Mint chopped
  • 2 Green Onions
  • 3 tbsp Spinach
  • 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Sour plum paste
  • 1 tsp Abghooreh (unripe grapes juice)

Instructions
 

  • Chop the onion and the fresh herbs and the green onions. Mince the garlic and slice eggplant and tomatoes thinly. Coat the chicken breast with turmeric and salt.
  • Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute them. Add the minced garlic to the pan to create a rich base for the stew.
  • Add the chopped herbs and green onions to the pan with 1 cup of hot water and close the lid for it to simmer.
  • In a different pan heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the coated chicken breasts cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
  • With a spray of olive oil and a pinch of salt place the eggplants and tomatoes in the oven on 350 Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes or until they are cooked. If you don’t have an oven you can simply sauté them in a pan.
  • Once they are all cooked, add the chicken to the base of the stew and add the pomegranate molasses and stir it for 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and eggplants and close lid for another 7 minutes.
  • Add salt and lemon juice and give the last stir to your pan and your creamy casserole will be ready.

Notes

  • If you don’t have access to wood sorrel, you might be able to find the dried herb in your local Persian store.
  • Any of the fresh green herbs can simply be replaced with dried herbs.
  • Even though the original recipe calls for sour plum paste, you can replace it with pomegranate molasses for the sour taste. Pomegranate molasses can be found at Middle Eastern markets around you, or you can easily make some with some pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon by heating them until it waters down and you get a paste texture.
  • Torshvash stew is made with additional ab Nareng (bergamot orange) or ab ghooreh (unripe grape juice) but it can be replaced with lemon juice. 
Keyword stew