Kerman Food
Food can represent the rich customs and traditions of a nation, and eating a delicious local meal can create a sweet memory for the tourist. Thus, most of the people are interested in trying traditional dishes when they travel to a new destination. Among the cities in Iran, Kerman is one of the must-see Iran destinations, and Kerman Province houses many UNESCO world heritage sites. So, tasting Kerman traditional food can double the fun of visiting this historic city. Notably, Kerman province has diverse kinds of Abgoosht (broth) that some of them contain curd (Kask in Persian) that makes them so unique in the country. Moreover, the most famous spice in this region is cumin (Zireh in Persian).
Here we, as locals, introduce you to the different kinds of traditional Kerman food, their ingredients, and approximate prices.
Also, you can get more information about the most popular Iranian dishes and their approximate prices on the Persian Food and Drink page.
Kerman Food & Drinks Menu
* The prices are rough and based on a qualified dish served in a popular traditional restaurant in major cities. Usually, the prices are a little lower in casual dining restaurants and in small towns.
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Boz Ghormeh $5Goat Meat or Lamb, Onions, Peas, Curd, Garlic, Saffron, Pepper, Turmeric, Powdered Mint
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Abgoosht-e Bademjan va Kashk $3Lamb Meat, Peas, Curd, White Beans, Potatoes, Onions, Eggplants, Beets, Turmeric, Pepper
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Abgoosht-e Zireh (Cumin broth) $3Lamb Meat, Cumin, Onion, Garlic, Tomato Paste, Turmeric, Pepper
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Khoresht-e Aloocheh (Drupelet Stew) $3Beef or Lamb Meat, Beans, Tomato Paste, Dried Vegetables (Parsley and Coriander), Onions, Drupelet, Lemon Juice, Spices
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Zireh Polo (Cumin and Rice) with Chicken or Meat $3Rice, Cumin, Chicken or Mutton, Onions, Turmeric
Boz Ghormeh
Boz Ghormeh is the most famous Kerman food and is also known as Kerman broth. The word “Boz” means goat and goat meat, the main ingredient of this local dish, is delicious. However, sometimes they use lamb meat instead of goat meat. To cook this delicious dish, firstly, they cook the meat, chopped onion, garlic, and peas together. Then, they add curd, salt, and pepper and boil them together for a short time. Finally, they garnish the dish with ground walnuts, fried powdered mint, and fried onions.
Ingredients: Goat Meat or Lamb, Onions, Peas, Curd, Garlic, Saffron, Pepper, Turmeric, Powdered Mint
Abgoosht-e Bademjan va Kashk
(Broth of Eggplant and Curd)
Abgoosht-e Bademjan va Kashk is a popular traditional Kerman food. Generally, it takes a long time to prepare this dish. Firstly, the locals cook the meat with onions and legumes that were soaked the night before. Then, they add spices and potatoes. Also, they cook fried eggplant with broth and curd separately. Finally, they mix them all and serve it with bread and slices beets.
Ingredients: Lamb Meat, Peas, Curd, White Beans, Potatoes, Onions, Eggplants, Beets, Turmeric, Pepper
Abgoosht-e Zireh
(Cumin broth)
Kerman is famous for its high-quality cumin (Zireh in Persian) and this spice has a special place on the Kermanis’ tables. Accordingly, Abgoosht-e Zireh is a unique Kerman food with a long history that differs from other broth you have ever tried. This broth only contains meat, onion, and garlic, with no trace of any legumes and potatoes. Finally, if you love to try different flavors, we suggest not to miss trying Abgoosht-e Zireh, when you are in Kerman.
Ingredients: Lamb Meat, Cumin, Onion, Garlic, Tomato Paste, Turmeric, Pepper
Khoresht-e Aloocheh
(Drupelet Stew)
Khoresht-e Aloocheh is a local food of Kerman that contains meat, beans, tomato paste, dried vegetables (parsley and coriander), onions, drupelets, lemon juice, and spices. Along with being delicious, the preparation of this stew is very simple. First, they cook the meat, beans, and spices over low heat. Then, they add the dried vegetables, drupelets, lemon juice and tomato paste. Finally, this sour stew is ready after half an hour and is served with rice.
Ingredients: Beef or Lamb Meat, Beans, Tomato Paste, Dried Vegetables (Parsley and Coriander), Onions, Drupelets, Lemon Juice, Spices
Zireh Polo (Cumin and Rice) with Chicken or Meat
Cumin (Zireh in Persian) has a special place on the Kermanis’ tables, and you can find the best of this spice is this region. Accordingly, a famous Kerman Food that contains cumin is Zireh Polo which has a lovely taste and aroma. To prepare this Kerman traditional dish, the locals, first boil the rice with oil and salt and then brew it with black cumin. Traditionally, Zirh Polo is served with chicken or meat. So, they put the cooked pieces of chicken or mutton between the layers of rice and pour some broth over it and let it brew.
Ingredients: Rice, Cumin, Chicken or Mutton, Onions, Turmeric
