Vegan Fesenjan is a delicious plant-based version of the famous Persian dish Fesenjan, also known as Fesenjoon. This hearty stew has a rich walnut-based gravy which has a very unique flavor.
It’s been almost four years of my food voyage and I am really amazed by the flavors hidden in different cuisines that I explored during this time.
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.
Jump to:
What is fesenjan?
Fesenjan, also known as Fensenjoon is a hearty Persian stew with a rich walnut base.
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.
How to make (Step by step process)?
Steps 1 and 2: Put walnut kernels into a grinding jar and make a fine powder.
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.
Serving suggestions
This plant-based Fesenjan can be served with the popular Iranian rice dish tahdig, saffron rice, pulao, or plain basmati rice.
How to store?
To store, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for around 3-4 days.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Don't skip the step of soaking soya chunks in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. It makes them taste better.
- Squeeze out all the water from soya chunks before adding them to the dish. This will help them in soaking the delicious stew.
- Powdered walnuts may get burned very easily so roast them on low flame and don't leave them unattended while doing so.
- The real taste of this stew will come with patient cooking so do cook the stew on low flame for at least an hour or until it thickens slightly and changes color.
- Though soya chunks taste really good in this dish if you can't find them make vegan fesenjan with just potatoes or roasted eggplant cubes.
Frequently asked questions
Pomegranate molasses is a key ingredient of this recipe and you can't get the real taste of this fesenjan without it. I tried making this dish with a few other ingredients which are generally recommended as a substitute for pomegranate molasses but nothing tasted even closer.
Generally, pomegranate molasses is made with pomegranate juice and sugar so it's gluten-free. However, to be on the safer side it's always better to check the ingredients label of the product you are using if you follow a specific diet.
Though I have not tried it myself, once a reader shared with me that she made this dish with hazelnut and she loved it.
More plant-based dinner recipes
If you are looking for more easy plant-based dinner recipes from around the world then don't miss checking the following links:
Vegan Persian recipes
Looking for some more vegan Persian recipes? Do check the links below:
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Recipe
Vegan Fesenjan
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut kernels
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses adjust to taste
- 1 large white onion finely chopped
- 1 medium-sized potato cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 cup soya chunks
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar/ any other sweetener of your choice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3.5 + 0.5 cups water around 500 ml, adjust to get the desired consistency
Ingredients for garnishing
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Put the walnut kernels in a grinder and make a fine powder.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot and put the ground walnuts into it. Dry roast on low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the walnuts become fragrant and start releasing oil. Keep on stirring in between to avoid burning.
- Add around 3.5 cups of water to the roasted ground walnut and let it boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the vegetable bouillon, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix everything and cover the pot. Cook for about an hour. Keep on checking and stirring in between to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom.
- While the walnut stew is getting ready, soak soya chunks in hot water for around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, squeeze out the water and keep the chunks aside.
- Heat oil in a different pot. Throw in the onions and cook until they start turning brown.
- Add turmeric powder and saute for a few seconds.
- Add potato cubes and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring in between.
- Next, add soya chunks and stir fry for around 2 minutes. Add around ½ a cup of water and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add walnut stew which has been cooked for at least 1 hour. Mix well and cover. Cook for another 30 minutes. Keep checking after 10-15 minutes to ensure that it’s not sticking to the bottom.
- Once done, take it out in a serving dish, garnish with chopped parsley/ coriander leaves, pomegranate arils and serve with steamed basmati rice.
Notes
- Squeeze out all the water from soya chunks before adding them to the dish. This will help them in soaking the delicious stew.
- Powdered walnuts get burned very easily so roast them on low flame and don't leave them unattended while doing so.
- Be patient with cooking fesenjan, if you won't cook it for a long time on low flame, you won't get the real taste of the dish.
- Vegan fesenjan can also be made with just potatoes or roasted eggplant cubes.
- More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
This recipe is a firm favourite with my grown up children and me. I've made this lots over the winter, it's time consuming but so worth it. I usually double the quantity so I can share it out.
Thank you for this recipe, love it.
Thanks Yvonne. I also love this dish 🙂
Hi! Just an fyi, the walnut/pom combo is such a rare and exotic unique taste for the taste buds that I think adding tofu, parsley, or mushroom/ lentil/ chickpeas/ eggplant/ jack fruit/or potatoes to it would not taste the same. I’ve eaten this countless times with simply the pom and walnut, mixture (never chicken) and it tastes like food from the gods above as is. Never heard of it with duck either.
Can't wait for you to enjoy this with the minimal ingredients!