Delicious, silky scrambled eggs cooked with spring onions, turmeric, feta and dill. A light and healthy cooked breakfast option which pairs brilliantly with smoked salmon.
What is Panir Bereshteh?
Panir Bereshteh is a delicately flavoured old recipe from Gilan Province, in northern Iran, which lies along the Caspian Sea bordering Russia. Feta is cooked with spring onions, garlic and turmeric before eggs are folded in. The name of the dish translated means ‘crispy cheese’ (Panir – cheese, and Bereshteh – crispy), but the actual dish is not crispy as the cheese melts to a creamy sauce while cooking, before the eggs are added.
Gilan is lush and green with many delicious dishes originating from the province, particularly vegetarian ones, namely Mirza Ghasemi (smoked aubergines and eggs) and Baghali Ghatogh (eggs with broad beans and dill).
Serving Panir Bereshteh
This recipe is a great addition to your breakfast or brunch catalogue of recipes with the dill and feta resulting in fresh and light flavours. Serve with flatbread and a side of smoked salmon. For a veggie option, serve with tomatoes and cucumbers as pictured.
Other Breakfast Inspiration
- Omelette Gojeh Farangi – Persian Tomato Omelette
- Nargessi (Persian Spinach & Eggs)
- Persian Eggs Recipe (Borani Esfenaj with Poached Eggs and Aleppo Butter) | Kitchn (thekitchn.com).
Panir Bereshteh
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter or ghee
- 1 garlic clove (crushed) (optional)
- 80 g feta cheese
- 2 spring onions (finely sliced)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 4 large free-range eggs (beaten)
- 1 tbsp fresh dill (chopped and a further pinch to garnish)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add olive oil and butter to a frying pan and heat on a medium heat until the butter has melted. Add crushed garlic and stir until aroma released.
- Add feta cheese and let it cook down until it has melted into a creamy mixture.
- Reduce heat to low, add spring onion and stir gently.
- Add turmeric and stir gently pushing the creamy mixture evenly across the pan, ready for the egg mixture.
- Add dill to beaten eggs, then pour into the frying pan, tilting the pan slightly from side to side so the mixture spreads equally. Increase the heat to medium.
- As the eggs start to firm, take a spatula and stir gently to the preferred consistency. Turn heat off and serve on its own or with smoked salmon, flat bread or toast.