The Sabzi Basket

Every traditional Persian household keeps a mixture of fresh clean herbs in the fridge ready to be served with main meals or wrapped in sandwiches. This sabzi khordani comprises parsley, coriander, mint, tarragon and basil most commonly, together with spring onions and radishes, but there are hundreds of other ones which creep into the basket from time to time, many of them members of the cress family. Herbs are bought by the bunch, trimmed carefully away from their stalks, swooshed around in a bowl of cold water and then left to soak for at least half an hour, during which time any dirt sinks to the bottom. They are then scooped out into a colander, and allowed to drain. They are best stored in the colander (which allows them to breathe) – just rest an inverted side-plate on top and pop the whole thing in the fridge. They should keep for around a week. It takes a while to get used to eating raw herbs, especially some of the more aromatic or pungent ones – but they are so beneficial in so many ways – coriander acts as an appetizer, and tarragon, basil and mint act as an aid to digestion; parsley is an invaluable source of vitamin K and, of course, masks any unpleasant odours on the breath.