Daniel Shemtob’s Persian Dinner Party Menu
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“I love entertaining,” explains Daniel Shemtob, chef-founder, operator, and storyteller best known as the two-time champion of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race. “There’s nothing like inviting someone into your home and … then offering a really beautiful meal.”
As founder of The Lime Truck and Snibbs footwear company and host of the Dine & Grind podcast and his new food show Better Than Your Mom, Daniel builds at the intersection of food, workwear, entrepreneurship, and media.
“It’s funny, because I come from the restaurant world, but I feel like a restaurant experience is so bi nary,” he says. “You go there, you sit down, you have to order within a certain amount of time, and you Chef Daniel Shemtob have … a certain amount of money you’re supposed to spend because you’re taking that seat.”
You also sit by the same person all night.
“When you’re having people in your home … There’s more one-on-one time, there’s more diversity in the conversation, because you might walk in and talk to one person in the kitchen, then you might sit by another person while you’re eating, you might eat by two different people because you’re grazing,” Daniel explains. “There’s much more of a relaxed environment, which creates deeper bonds.”
Daniel believes that the best dinner party food should do three things:
- Look beautiful
- Make people build their own perfect bites
- Keep the host out of the kitchen once people arrive.
The goal is to turn dinner into a night of conversation and connection.
“This is Persian in spirit, with the way I like to host: abundant, a little loud, and not precious,” Dan iel says.
Plus, he says, “I love a dinner party where the food does half the hosting for you.”
The Persian Dinner Party Menu that Daniel shared with us is one he would “serve every time” and includes smoky chicken kabob, crispy tahdig, deep green sabzi stew, baba ganoush, Israeli salad, and kuku sabzi.
“It’s built for the kind of table where people reach, build their own perfect bite, and stay longer than they planned,” he explains. “This menu is smoky, crispy, bright, herb-heavy, creamy, and generous.
“You get the drama of chicken skewers coming off the grill, the crunch of tahdig, the comfort of sabzi stew, the hit of super smoky baba ganoush, a chopped salad that is basically sitting in its own vinaigrette, and kuku sabzi — green, savory, and easy to cut into wedges for the table.”
This menu looks impressive, but it is not fussy. It is colorful, abundant, mostly make-ahead, and full of contrast: smoke, crunch, acid, herbs, richness, and heat from the grill. It gives people options without making the table feel like a buffet. It feels hosted, generous, and alive.
How I Serve the Whole Dinner
I put everything in the middle of the table: chicken skewers over la vash, tahdig flipped whole and cracked into pieces, sabzi stew in a deep bowl, baba ganoush with olive oil pooling on top, Israeli salad cold and juicy, and kuku cut into wedges.
Then I add the supporting cast: fresh herbs, lemon wedges, grilled tomatoes, raw onions, pickles, more lavash, and maybe a little yogurt if I have it.
The perfect bite is a little chicken, crispy tahdig, baba ganoush, herbs, and the juicy salad spooned over the top.
That is why the menu works. It is not plated. It is shared. It gets people reaching, building, talking, and eating for longer than they expected. That is the dinner party I love.
Make-Ahead Rhythm
Day Before: Marinate the chicken, make the sabzi stew, make the Israeli salad, char and mix the baba ganoush.
Morning of: Chop herbs for kuku, prep garnishes, rinse and soak rice.
Before Guests Arrive: Bake or finish kuku, parboil rice, skewer chicken.
When Guests Arrive: Start tahdig, grill chicken, warm lavash, and put everything in the middle of the table.
Persian-Style Orange Chicken Kabob
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
This is the centerpiece. Bright orange, smoky from the grill, juicy, and easy to serve family-style. Put the skewers on lavash, let the bread catch the juices, and the whole table immediately knows dinner is on.
Host Move
Marinate the chicken the night before. Skewer it a few hours before the party. When guests arrive, all you have to do is grill.
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken breast, cut into large kabob pieces
1 large yellow onion, grated, with most of the juice kept
4 garlic cloves, grated
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or 3 tablespoons mayo
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 generous pinch saffron, bloomed in 3 tablespoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
Optional: 1 tsp tomato paste if you want a deeper orange color
Lavash, fresh herbs, grilled tomatoes, raw onion, and lemon wedges, for
serving
Instructions
Mix the grated onion, garlic, yogurt or mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, bloomed saffron, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper, and tomato paste if using. It should look bright orange and smell like onion, citrus, and saffron.
Add the chicken and massage the marinade into every piece. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.
Thread the chicken onto flat metal skewers. Keep the pieces snug, but do not smash them together.
Heat the grill to medium-high. Grill the skewers, turning often, until the chicken has good color and is just cooked through, about 10 to 14 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
Rest for a few minutes, then serve over lavash with herbs, lemon, grilled tomatoes, and onions.
Chef Note: The goal is Persian-market chicken: bright, juicy, salty, lemony, and smoky. Breast works if you do not punish it. Marinate it well, grill it hot, and pull it before it dries out.
Easy Tahdig in a Tahdig Maker
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
Tahdig is the magic trick. It is rice, but nobody treats it like rice. You flip it, it lands golden and crispy, and suddenly everyone at the table wants the corner piece.
Host Move
Parboil the rice earlier and finish it in the tahdig maker closer to din ner. Flip it when people are already at the table so they get the moment.
Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice
2 tbsp kosher salt, for the boiling water
3 tbsp neutral oil or olive oil
2 tbsp butter or ghee
Pinch of saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
Optional: 2 tbsp yogurt for a richer bottom layer
Instructions
Rinse the rice several times until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 30 minutes if you have time.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until parboiled — soft on the outside but still firm in the center, about 6 to 7 minutes. Drain.
Add oil, butter or ghee, and bloomed saffron to the tahdig maker. If using yogurt, mix a scoop of parboiled rice with the yogurt and add that as the bottom layer.
Add the rest of the rice gently on top, mounding it slightly. Cover and cook according to your tahdig maker instructions until the bottom is golden and crisp.
Flip onto a platter right before serving.
Chef Note: There is no trophy for making your life harder. The tah dig maker gives you the crispy bottom without turning dinner into a hostage situation.
Gourmet Sabzi Stew
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
Sabzi is the soul of the table. It is not flashy in the obvious way. It is deep, herbaceous, a little sour, and comforting. Next to grilled chicken and fresh salad, it gives the meal weight.
Host Move
Make it the day before. It gets better overnight, which is exactly what I want when I am hosting.
Ingredients
2 pounds beef chuck or lamb shoulder, cut into stew pieces
1 large onion, finely diced
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
5 cups chopped parsley
3 cups chopped cilantro
2 cups chopped chives or green onion tops
1 cup chopped spinach or fresh fenugreek leaves or 2 tbsp dried fenugreek, if not using fresh
4 dried Persian limes, pierced
1 can kidney beans, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (prefer dried)
5 to 6 cups water or light stock
Juice of 1 lemon, optional, to finish
Instructions
Heat 2 tbps of olive oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden.
Add the meat, turmeric, black pepper, and salt. Brown the meat on all sides.
Add water or stock and the pierced dried limes. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, until the meat starts getting tender.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped herbs and cook slowly until they darken and smell deep, not raw. This is where the stew gets its flavor.
Add the cooked herbs and beans to the pot. Simmer for another 45 to 60 minutes, until the stew is rich, dark, and the meat is tender. Taste and adjust with salt and lemon juice if it needs a little lift.
Chef Note: Sabzi should not be precious and bright green. It should be dark, deep, and a little mysterious. Cook the herbs long enough that they stop tasting raw and start tasting like the soul of the dish.
Super Smoky Baba Ganoush
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
Baba ganoush has to be smoky. Not a little smoky. I want it to taste like the eggplant actually met fire. This is the creamy, smoky anchor that makes chicken, lavash, herbs, and salad feel like one complete bite.
Host Move
Make it earlier in the day or the night before. Serve room temp with
olive oil on top.
Ingredients
3 large eggplants
1/3 cup tahini
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp high-quality olive oil, plus more to finish
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin, optional
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Sumac or smoked paprika, optional
Pomegranate seeds, optional
Instructions
Char the eggplants directly over an open flame, on a grill, or under a broiler. Turn often until the skin is blackened and the inside collapses. Do not be scared of the char. That is the flavor.
Place the eggplants in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. Peel off the burnt skin, but do not rinse them under water or you will wash away the smoke.
Drain the flesh in a strainer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Chop the eggplant by hand for a rustic texture, or pulse lightly if you want it smoother.
Mix with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and cumin if using. Taste and adjust.
Spoon into a bowl, make a well in the center, and finish with olive oil, parsley, and sumac.
Chef Note: The smoke is the recipe. Everything else is support. If the eggplant is not charred hard enough, it becomes eggplant dip. Still good, but not the same thing.
Kuku Sabzi
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
Kuku sabzi is familiar and surprising at the same time. People see it and think frittata. Then they taste it and realize it is mostly herbs held together by egg. Green, savory, and easy to cut into wedges.
Host Move
Make it ahead and serve warm or room temp. It holds beautifully and gives the table a vegetarian dish that does not feel like an afterthought.
Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped parsley
2 cups finely chopped cilantro
1 cup finely chopped dill
1 cup finely chopped scallions or chives
6 large eggs
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 cup dried cranberries or barberries, optional
3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk the eggs with turmeric, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Fold in the herbs. The mixture should look like herbs coated in egg, not eggs with a few herbs floating around. That is the point. Add walnuts and cranberries or barberries if using.
Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the kuku mixture and smooth the top. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the stovetop until the edges begin to set.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until set in the center. Rest before slicing.
Chef Note: The biggest mistake is making kuku too eggy. This dish should be green. Really green. The egg is there to hold the herbs together, not take over.
Israeli Salad with Serious Olive Oil
Serves 6–8
Why It Works for a Dinner Party
This looks simple, but the trick is the cut, the olive oil, and the juice. I want it chopped small, I want the red onion tiny, and I want the salad almost sitting in its own dressing.
Host Move
Make it a day early. It gets better, and the leftover liquid becomes gold for salads, rice bowls, grilled chicken, or anything that needs brightness.
Ingredients
5 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1/4 small red onion, diced very, very small — about a quarter of the size of the tomato and cucumber pieces
1/2 cup high-quality olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley, optional
1/2 cup chopped mint, optional
Instructions
Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes small and evenly.
Dice the red onion much smaller. You want onion everywhere, but you do not want to bite into a big chunk of it.
Mix everything with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let it sit in the fridge for at least a few hours, ideally overnight. The tomatoes and cucumbers will release their juices and create the dressing. Before serving, taste and adjust with more lemon, salt, or olive oil.
Chef Note: This salad should not be dry. The liquid should come up to about 25 percent of the total mix. That is not a mistake. That is the best part. After dinner, save the leftover liquid and use it as dressing for the week.
