Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Haft mewa: an Afghan New Year salad of dried fruits and peeled nuts steeped in sweet rose-scented syrup. Refreshing, fragrant and naturally sweet.
Haft mewa is the fragrant Afghan fruit-and-nut salad made for Nowruz, the spring new year. Seven dried fruits and nuts steep together for days in a rose-scented syrup they create themselves, turning soft, sweet and aromatic. It is a beautiful thing to make, both nourishing and full of meaning.
Jump to recipe
Prep 30 min
Total 30 min
Easy
Scale:
- 110g Dried Apricots
- 50g Light Raisins
- 110g Raisins
- 50g Walnuts
- 50g Almonds
- 50g Pistachio
- 50g Cherry
- Splash Rose Water
Preparation
- Wash the apricots and both raisins and place in a bowl, covering with cold water to 5cm above the fruit.
- Put the walnuts, pistachios and almonds in another bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak, then peel off all the skins as they soften, a fiddly job but worth it. Discard the water.
- Combine the fruits with the nuts and cherries, including the soaking juice from the fruit. Add the rose water, cover, and rest in the fridge for two days; the juice will become sweeter and syrupy.
- To serve, spoon the fruit, nuts and juice into individual bowls or cups.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Soak the nuts in hot water so the skins slip off; it is fiddly but gives the classic clean, tender bite.
- Use the fruits' own soaking liquid as the base of the syrup, which sweetens and thickens as it rests.
- Give it the full two days in the fridge so the flavours come together and the juice turns syrupy.
- Go gently with the rose water, as a little goes a long way.
Frequently Asked Questions
It translates as 'seven fruits' in Persian, after the seven dried fruits and nuts traditionally used. It stands for abundance in the new year.
Peeling the soaked nuts gives a softer, cleaner texture and helps them take on the syrup. It is the traditional way, though you can skip it for ease.
It holds well in the fridge for several days, and the flavour keeps improving as the fruit and nuts steep.
The classic uses a particular seven, but adapt it to what you have. Apricots, raisins, almonds, walnuts and pistachios are common choices.
Save this recipe, join ZestyPlate free
- Save your favourite recipes
- Build your own cookbooks
- Track what you've cooked
- New recipes in your inbox
Create free account
Already a member? Log in
Ratings & Reviews
Log in or create an account to rate this recipe.
No reviews yet, be the first to rate this recipe!
Comments (0)
Log in or create an account to join the conversation.
No comments yet, start the conversation!