Mast-o-Khiar and a Spice Journey with RawSpiceBar

This post is sponsored by RawSpiceBar. All opinions are 100% mine alone.

This past weekend was Nowruz {the Persian New Year} and I was lucky enough to celebrate with a big ol' bowl of Mast-o-Khiar and a plate of Advieh Khoresht Marinated Chicken Kabobs. Now, do not be fooled - I had no idea what either one of these things were up until a couple weeks ago. I knew what the Persian New Year was, but had no idea about Persian cuisine. I must give credit where credit is due and that is to RawSpiceBar. RawSpiceBar is a subscription service that delivers some of the most flavorful, freshly ground spice blends from around the world and this month's spice journey was to Tehran, Iran.

There are a ton {probably close to that anyway} of monthly food subscriptions out there, but I really think this one is beyond worth it at only $6/month. Included each month is 3-4 freshly ground spices from a specific geography or region, 3 kitchen-tested recipe cards and spice blend tasting notes, origin and history.

I followed the included recipe for Mast-o-Khiar {also posted on RawSpiceBar's site} to a tee and the result was absolutely delicious. Mast-o-Khiar is a yogurt-based dip {the name translates to yogurt and cucumber} that includes spices such as mint, dill, rose petals and black peppercorns. It was so fresh and cool tasting - I can totally see how it could be served alongside almost everything. I love it.

The included spice packet for Advieh Khoresht came with a recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks with Advieh. The recipe sounds fabulous and I would one day love to try it - but without Lamb Shanks I had to improvise. Instead I used the Advieh Khoresht spices and made a wet rub {2 tablespoons olive oil along with spice packet} that was applied to chicken kabobs.The kabobs were grilled and served alongside the Mast-o-Khiar, pita chips and grapes - it was amazing.

It was so much fun trying spices from a different region, spices that I would normally not have had the chance to taste. I think the idea of a spice monthly subscription is a great idea - especially with the quality of this one from RawSpiceBar. I'm hooked now and can't wait to see what journey we will take next month!!