It was the original “Hawaii 5-0” TV series that drew Teimour Riahi to Hawaii.

“I was living in dreary England and would see the beautiful scenes of Hawaii with Jack Lord,” Riahi said. “I moved to Hawaii in 1977.”

Both he and his wife, Marjan Azimi, were born and raised in Iran, he in Shiraz and she in Tehran. Now, at their Diamond Head home, they enjoy preparing Persian food for their friends. Azimi learned the recipes from her mother, Soody Azimi, and others in the large Iranian community in Los Angeles.

The food is rich, colorful and delicious, and it offers refreshing flavor combinations that are unfamiliar to many local palates.

Golden-crusted rice, crunchy and yellow from saffron, is a key feature of a Persian meal. Rice is so treasured it is referred to as the “pearls of Persian cuisine.” The yellow crust is achieved by heating the cooked rice with butter, yogurt, egg and the saffron. The most difficult step is to flip over the rice to showcase the crust.

It is usually served with a koresh (stew), yogurt dip and a plate of fresh herbs.

“Persians always have herbs to freshen the tastes, such as tarragon, parsley, cilantro, green onions, radish and arugula, with or without a cheese like feta,” Riahi said.

Stew flavors, made with an herb or tomato base, are strong and rich. The couple cooked up a tasty chicken and eggplant stew simmered with spices and tomatoes. To complete the meal, it was served with a cooling yogurt, cucumber, dill, mint and green-onion side dish, deliciously complex with walnuts and raisins, and beautifully topped with mint and dried rose petals.

Sourcing ingredients to make the cuisine isn’t as much of a challenge as it once was, though some items take special effort and others are simply unavailable. Unripe grapes called for in the stew cannot be found in Hawaii, for instance, but the dish still tastes wonderful without it.

“Now getting ingredients is easier at Asian and Indian stores here and online,” Azimi said. “We still bring many special ingredients from Los Angeles.” For example, friends deliver Persian bread — a flat, pitalike bread with sesame and poppy seeds.

In fact, the lack of a Persian community in Hawaii once had Azimi hesitant to move to the isles.

“For a year, I sent Marjan and her mother tropical flowers each week to convince them that it would be OK to marry me and move here!” Riahi confessed.

Now, the couple and their college- age daughters, Kiana and Leilani, enjoy sharing their Persian heritage with others.

Saffron Basmati Rice (Chelow)

• 3 cups long-grain basmati rice
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt, Greek-style preferred
• 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• 3/4 cup butter, divided
• 1 large egg, beaten

Pick over the rice and remove any grit. Wash rice by placing it in a large container and covering with lukewarm water. Agitate briskly with your hands and drain. Repeat 5 times until rice is completely clean. If using American rice, 1 rinse is sufficient.

In large, flat-bottomed, nonstick pot, bring 8 cups of water and salt to a boil. Add drained rice. Boil on high 10 minutes, gently stirring twice with a wooden spoon to loosen any grains that have stuck to the bottom. Bite a few grains of rice. If soft, rice is ready. If not, add several more tablespoons water and cook several more minutes. Drain in large colander and rinse in 3 cups lukewarm water.

In bowl, mix about 1/2 cup of rice, yogurt and saffron water. In same large pot, melt 1/2 cup of the butter and spread yogurt mixture and beaten egg to cover bottom of pot. This will create a golden crust when rice is finished.

Gently place remaining rice on yogurt-and-rice mixture. Over medium, cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes to form golden crust.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter and drizzle over rice. Lower heat to low and cook 30 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Keep covered and cool 5 minutes. This helps free crust from bottom of pot. With a spatula, loosen crust. Place large platter over pot and flip pot onto platter to showcase the crust. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 2 teaspoons salt): 570 calories, 25 g total fat, 15 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 78 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 8 g protein

Eggplant and Chicken Stew (Khoresh-e Bademjan)

• 8 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• 2 cups canned tomato sauce or juice of fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup unripe grapes (optional)
• 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 9 Asian eggplants
• 1 teaspoon Persian allspice (substitute American ground allspice)
• >> Garnish:
• 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, cut in wedges

In large Dutch oven over medium, add 3 tablespoons oil and brown onions, garlic and chicken. Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, turmeric, pepper flakes and saffron water. Add tomato sauce, unripe grapes, if using, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, then halve again crosswise to make 4 pieces. Place in colander and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt, then let sit 20 minutes (this removes bitterness). Rinse with water and pat dry.

In nonstick pan with 3 tablespoons oil, brown eggplant. Set aside.

Add allspice to the chicken, mix well and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

For garnish: Brown onion and tomato in remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Transfer chicken and sauce to ovenproof casserole. Arrange eggplant to one side, place onion and tomato garnish on top. Cover with lid or foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes, until eggplant is tender.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 550 calories, 41 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 1,700 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 14 g sugar, 25 g protein

Yogurt and Cucumber Dip (Mast-o-Khiar)

• 1 Asian cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup raisins, washed and drained
• 3 cups whole-milk yogurt, Greek-style preferred
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped shelled walnuts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
• >> Garnish:
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried mint
• 2 tablespoons dried rose petals

In serving bowl, combine cucumber, raisins, yogurt, onions, mint, dill and walnuts. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper (add garlic if using).

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with mint and rose petals. Serve with bread as an appetizer or with rice and stew. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per 2-tablespoon serving: 35 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 2 g sugar, 1 g protein

Lynette Lo Tom, author of “The Chinese Kitchen,” is fascinated by old-fashioned foods. Contact her at 275-3004 or via Instagram. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.