Haft Mewa (Seven Fruits)

Recipe from Farida Ayubi and Durkhanai Ayubi

Adapted by Naz Deravian

Haft Mewa (Seven Fruits) — Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 1½ hours, plus soaking and 2 days’ chilling
Rating: 4(52)
Notes: Read community notes

Haft mewa, which means seven fruits in Persian, is a symbolic compote of dried fruits and nuts traditionally prepared for Afghan Nowruz, the celebration of the new year and vernal equinox. Durkhania Ayubi shared this version in her cookbook, “Parwana: Recipes and Stories From an Afghan Kitchen.” She received the recipe from her mother, Farida Ayubi, who grew up making it in Afghanistan and continued the tradition with her family in their adopted home of Adelaide, Australia. Different types of nuts and fruits, which sometimes number more than seven despite the dish’s name, are soaked in water for two days to allow the fruits to plump up and release their natural juices. The nuts are peeled so they don’t make the syrup bitter and murky. —Naz Deravian

Featured in: For Afghans Abroad, Nowruz Is a Chance to Reflect

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

⅓cup/50 grams whole raw almonds
6tablespoons/50 grams shelled raw pistachios
½cup/50 grams walnut halves (optional; see Tip)
1cup/150 grams golden raisins, rinsed
⅓cup/50 grams dried large apricots, about 8, rinsed
⅓cup/50 grams black raisins, rinsed
⅓cup/50 grams senjed (oleaster), about 25, rinsed (see Tip)
¼cup/50 grams whole dried sour apricots with seeds, about 10, rinsed (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Place each variety of nut in a separate medium heatproof bowl and cover each variety with some of the just-boiled water. Soak the almonds and pistachios for about 1 hour, and soak the walnuts overnight (if using) to help the skins peel off. Almond and pistachio skins slip off fairly easily; walnuts take more effort. Once the skins are softened, drain the nuts and use your fingers to rub off the skins. Rinse the peeled nuts and place them all in one bowl.
Step 2
In a medium pot with a lid, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and carefully add the nuts and all of the dried fruits to the pot. Cover and set aside to cool at room temperature. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for 48 hours to allow the flavors to fully develop.
Step 3
Serve chilled, ladling some syrupy soaking liquid into each bowl. Be mindful that the senjed and whole dried apricots have seeds. Haft mewa will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Tips

Peeling walnuts can be an arduous task, so you can leave them out and add more almonds and pistachios instead.
Senjed and whole dried sour apricots with seeds can be found at Afghan or Iranian markets, and online. They are a hallmark of the dish, but can be substituted with other dried fruits, such as figs and cherries.