The Dolmeh to End All Dolmeh, from Tehran to Woodhaven
The Deli is an ode to the artisanal food makers of New York. Last week, we introduced Hana Makgeolli by Alice Jun and John Limb. This week, we spoke to Nasrin founder, Chef Nasrin Rejali who is making Persian food and speciality products in Woodhaven, Queens.
The Product: Specialty Persian pastry, jams, pickles, herbal tea, and more.
The Deli Pick: Dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves, sold upon request via catered dinner orders)
How To Buy: Shop online from NasrinsKitchen.com for domestic shipping or find Nasrin’s products at O Cafe in Manhattan. $3-$25.
As a young girl in Iran, I started cooking at home. My grandmother lived with us for a few years and I learned so much from watching her and my mother. Persian people always have a lot of guests and parties so this pushed me to learn how to cook for hundreds of people. I was a professional cook and ran a poolside buffet in Tehran before immigrating to Turkey with my three kids in 2014. There, I lived in a small city and I was so scared to come to New York because I didn’t understand the language and, as a single mom, I worried about my children. But after moving to the United States, I found a job with Eat Offbeat [a catering organization working with refugees]. I cooked there in the mornings, and at Pars Grill [now closed] at night, until I was able to find a home for my family.
When COVID-19 hit, I quit my job with Eat Offbeat and didn’t know how to sit still at home. So I began to test different recipes to make cookies the way I grew up eating them. I took classes online from Iran at four in the morning, and I learned to perfect traditional dishes and pastries such as Kolompeh. My friend Diaa Alhanoun owned Sakib restaurant and told me to come work for him but, by the time I started, he had decided to move on. I was terrified but eventually decided to start my own business with only $200. I was then lucky to have a friend connect me with [The Deli co-founder] Anna Polonsky, and she and her husband Fernando Aciar really believed in me. They pushed me to do more, helped me with my LLC as well as to develop my products further. Now I have my own website, where I can sell my products and host pop-ups around the city. I thank God every day.
I always wanted to have a place like a tea house where people can eat, dance, and relax. People here work too much and need more time to unwind. I would also love to sell my products to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. I want to keep going with my online shop for my products but my work is more rewarding when I get to see the feelings the food gives people. I want to show the world the beauty and culture of Iran through the food. Money will always come if you are hardworking but there needs to be more places to bring joy.
Greatest hits: My Kolompeh [date cookie] and carrot jam. They are vegan and not too sweet.
Most underrated product: My Original Iranian baklava, with handmade phyllo dough. Very different from the Arabic baklava because it has rose water and almonds inside.
Tips to best enjoy your products: In Iran, jam is always eaten for breakfast with cheese or yogurt, or with tea for dessert. We keep the cookies out on the table for people to eat whenever they want. Eat the dolmeh super hot and dip it in yogurt. My products are all homemade, without any preservatives, so eat them quickly.
Favorite places to eat in NY: I love home cooking so most of the time I eat at home. Since moving to New York I have tried Mexican food and I love it because it is close to Persian food, only spicier. I go to Dallas BBQ with my kids. I also love Il Buco for Italian because it is so different from Iranian pasta. I cooked with their team during the Refugee Food Festival in 2018.
Food makers to follow: My friend Rachana Rimal of Rachana’s Delight (don't miss her momos and gobi manchurian, as well as her sweets, also sold at O Cafe). Diaa Alhanoun's Syrian foods (his walnut-stuffed baby eggplants are a must).
