My wife made the same comment about the saffron! Fortunately we have a seemingly never-ending supply from my parents. I agree that skipping the saffron is fine

My wife made the same comment about the saffron! Fortunately we have a seemingly never-ending supply from my parents. I agree that skipping the saffron is fine in a lot of the recipes, especially the stews. (I prefer skipping the rosewater as well, but it definitely does make a noticeable difference in the flavor). In some cases, though, you definitely need copious quantities of saffron, like tahchin, or the chicken served with zereshk polo. I disagree with you on the onions, though. It's one thing to get them translucent, but that's barely caramelized, if at all. Only once they're nice and brown do you get that subtle sweetness.