Special News/Recipes Iranian Cuisine

[Rasputin]

Morasah-polow

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Ingredients: (4 Servings)
basmati or long-grain rice, 500 grams
chicken, 800 grams
cooking oil
butter, 2 spoons
barberries (dried), 80 grams
almonds, 50 grams
pistachios, 50 grams
raisins, 50 grams
orange peel, 100 grams
sugar, two spoons
large onions, two
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Morasah-Polow is an elaborate rice dish which means jeweled rice and is usually made at weddings.

Soak rice in warm water for 2 hours. Wash chicken. Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add chicken pieces and fry until color changes. Add a glass of hot water, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add more hot water during cooking if necessary. About 1/2 glass of water should be left at the end. Romove chicken bones.

Wash barberries and raisins with cold water and drain. Fry separately in oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Add some sugar to barberries during frying. Thinly slice almonds and pistachios. Soak almonds in cold water for an hour. Thinly slice orange peels. Boil for a few minutes, drain and repeat. Soak in cold water for an hour, drain, and repeat. Finally boil for a few minutes with a few spoons of sugar, and drain.

Prepare rice using the recipe for polow. When rice is rinsed, pour a bit of oil and hot water in a pot, and add 1/2 of rice. Spread chicken pieces over the rice, and cover with 1/2 of remaining rice. Spread half of almonds and orange peel over rice and cover with remaining rice. Pour chicken-juice and a bit of oil over rice. Dissolve saffron in a bit of hot water and also pour over rice. Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add remainder of almonds and orange peel, raisins, barberries, and pistachios, and mix well. Pour two spoons of melted butter on top, and serve.

[mahsa88]

REDDY>?? man hichkodome in ghazahai ke neveshtio nadidam! ina chiyan? (well bishtareshon)

omg i hate zabannn! i,,,zaboon gav! oh god badbakht gave ba oon zabon allaf mikhorde

[Rasputin]

Aash-e Shalgham

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Ingredients: (4 servings)
turnip, 500 grams
long grain or basmati rice, 100 grams
ground lamb or beef, 200 grams
onions, 2 large
split peas, 50 grams
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
mint, 100 grams fresh or 2 teaspoons dried
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Mix ground meat with grated onions, salt and black pepper. Shape into small balls, and fry in oil until color changes. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water and split peas and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Wash turnip and rice. Peel turnip and cut into a few pieces. Add both to aash. Also add turmeric, salt and black pepper. Mix well and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If using fresh mint, wash and chop finely. Fry mint in oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and pour over aash when serving.

[Rasputin]

Mirza Ghasemi (Baademjaan Ghasemi)

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Ingredients: (6 servings)
8 small seedless eggplants
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs
2 medium tomatos
1/3 cup of cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Bake the eggplants in oven until cooked. This occurs when the eggplants swell and the skin bursts. Take eggplants out of oven and let them cool down slightly. Peel them and cut the hard tops. Cut into small pieces.

Bring water to boil in a small pot. Cook tomatos in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pot and let cool slightly. Peel them and cut into small pieces.

Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden. Add eggplants and fry further for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatos, salt and pepper and fry until the excess water is gone.

Beat eggs well with a fork and fry separately until half-cooked. Add to eggplants, mix and fry further for 1-2 minutes. Can be served with white rice or Iranian bread. This is a delicious dish from a region by the Caspian sea in northern Iran.

[Rasputin]

KooKoo-yeh Loobia-Sabz

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Ingredients: (4 servings)
string beans, 400 grams
eggs, 4 large
onions, 2 large
baking soda, one teaspoon
wheat flour, one spoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
Directions:
Wash string beans and chop into 1cm pieces. Bring 2-3 cups of water to boil. Add chopped string beans and a bit of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes under tender. Drain water.

Peel and chop onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Dissolve saffron in 1/3 cup of hot water. Beat eggs well, then add baking soda, salt, black pepper, saffron, flour, onions and string beans. Mix well.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.

[Rasputin]

Dolmeh-yeh Baadenjaan

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Ingredients: (4 servings)
8 small eggplants
400 grams ground lamb or beef
100 grams of long-grain or basmati rice
2 medium onions, finely chopped
cooking oil
2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste
fresh lime juice, 3-4 teaspoons
sugar, 2-3 teaspoons
salt
black pepper
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup garlic chives, finely chopped
1/3 cup tarragon, finely chopped (optional)
Directions:
Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.

Fry prepared vegetables in cooking oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly.

Peel eggplants and cut a circle at the tops, then remove insides without creating any holes at the sides or the end. Sprinkle some salt inside the eggplants. Mix prepared meat, vegetables and rice well. Fill the eggplants with the mix and close the tops.

Fry eggplants in cooking oil for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, then place in a pot side by side (avoid stacking them). Dissolve one teaspoon of tomato paste in a glass of hot water and add to eggplants. Add salt, black pepper, lime juice and sugar and simmer for 5-10 minutes until water boils off.

[Rasputin]

Koofte Nokhod-chi

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Ingredients: (4 servings)
ground lamb (or beef), 500 grams
chickpea flour, 300 grams
onions, two regular
fresh lime juice (or vinegar), one cup
sugar, 3-4 spoons
cooking oil
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Dissolve half of saffron in a cup of hot water and add with salt, pepper and chickpea flour to ground lamb (or beef) and mix well. If necessary, gradually mix in some more water so that the mix does not stick to the hand.

Slice onions and fry in oil until golden. Add five glasses of water and some salt and bring to boil. Make 3-4 cm balls from the mix and fry in oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Transfer balls to boiling water and add lime juice (or vinegar), sugar and the rest of saffron, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

[mahsa88]

LOOOL R3DDY U in ghazaharo vaghean baladi bepazi???

[Rasputin]

آبگوشت مرغ ( زمان پخت: 100دقيقه )

مواد لازم براي براي 4 نفر:

نيم کيلو مرغ، 1 عدد پياز، 3 عدد ساقه کرفس به همراه برگ،1 عدد هويج، 1.5 ق.چ نمک، 3 حبه سير، 6 فنجان آب

طرز تهيه:

پياز را 4 قسمت کنيد. کرفس و هويج ها را خرد کنيد. مرغ پياز ، کرفس ، هويج و نمک و سير را با آب بپزيد .بعد مرغ و سبزيجات را از آب درآورده و چربي روي آب را بگيريد.

[Rasputin]

So you are having a bunch of people over and you are not quite sure where to find some essential ingredients for your next Persian meal. All of us have had a lot of experience living outside of Iran, and the added pressure when friends come over to experience the 'real Iranian kitchen' can be daunting. So, we have developed a keen understanding of how to 'fake it' when it comes to making good Persian food without all the right ingredients. Here are our top tips for those 'everyday' ingredients, which are not so everyday, without the nearest Baghaali:


1. Robb-e Anar or Ab-e Anar - usually used for Fesenjoon (Fesenjaan). These days, you can buy fresh pomegranate juice, such as 'Pom Juice' in the stores. Their biggest bottle is needed for a meal for 4 and this can be quite expensive. Your alternative to using fresh pomegranate juice is using the usual Pomegranate paste, which is the Robb-e Anar used in Iran. This can be ordered from any online grocer such as Sadaf or Iranstore but can still be fairly pricey. If you are still not convinced, the cheapest and best substitute for pomegranate paste is Prune juice. You should use at least 2 bottles to get the same thick stew and rich flavor as pomegranates. Some prune juices can be sour. To alleviate this, add a little sugar to your Fesenjun and you are good to go.

2. Kashk or whey - used in Aash-e Reshteh is hard to find. I have seen people use yoghurt for the lack of something more convenient. If you have the time, you could even attempt to make your own kashk by letting the water run out of the yoghurt that you purchase. Yoghurt has a much lighter taste but still is a great way to fake it in the Iranian kitchen. It is also a healthier alternative as you can get non-fat or low-fat versions.





Another suggestion for Kashk substitution sent in by Mariam Sheibani:

You can substitute sour cream for Kashk. Whenever I make kashk-eh-bademjaan I totally just use sour cream!

3. Reshteh - used for Aash-e Reshteh is hard to find. Sometimes Asian stores which may be more common in your area will have long noodles which are similar to reshteh in consistency, color and taste. They are as floury as Iranian reshteh and can be used for the great-tasting aash.

4. Noon Khamei - Miss the famous Iranian cream puffs that you used to get at your local Shirini Foorooshi? Well, now you can get very similar tasting cream puffs in your local supermarket. They are called 'Belgian mini cream puffs' and are made by Delizza. They can be purchased in the frozen dessert section of any grocer. These cream puffs are great to have around the house for dessert or to serve to guests at the last minute. Let the noon khamei sit for a few minutes before serving.

5. Bastmati rice - our final tip is to be sure to use Basmati rice when cooking Iranian polo. Basmati is very easy to find in most stores and is the closest thing to good Iranian rice. The grains are long and the taste is much richer than Uncle Ben's or Carolina's.

[Sepideh_UK]

lool
thanx.
I always use Basmati rice for cooking polo anyway they are well good.
Easy to cook and quiet quick.

[Rasputin]

Unlike conventional Western assumption, Iranian cuisine is not all Kabobs and meat. In fact, the staple of any Iranian mothers kitchen is the traditional Polo or rice. Rice is the main ingredient for many delicious dishes and also serves as the backbone of all the Koresht dishes. Koresht, pronounced Korosht in every day language, is the famous and traditional stews. They come in a variety of colors and tastes and are served always over rice. Persians take the making of rice, or polo, very seriously. If you want to consider yourself a good Persian cook, the first think you need to do is to learn how to make rice.

Here is how:



Polo - Simple Persian Rice

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 500 grams
cooking oil
salt

Directions:





The preparation of polo (or chelow) is more elaborate than normal and results in a delicious non-sticky rice. Persians consider making rice that is non-sticky an art form and a good cook should know how to do this as it is the staple of Persian Cuisine. Polo is normally served with kababs or any of the main dishes in this collection, unless rice is already used as one of the ingredients.
Wash rice twice and soak in salted warm water for 3-4 hours, then drain the water. Pour water in a large non-stick pan until it is half-full and bring it to a boil. Add rice and a spoonful of salt and continue boiling until rice slightly softens. Pour rice into a drain and wash it with slightly warm water.
Pour a few spoonfuls of cooking oil into the pan and add rice. Pour a few more spoonfuls of oil over rice. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about half an hour. If cooking time is increased, a delicious crispy layer of rice (called ta-dig or tah-dig) will form at the bottom of the pan.

[Rasputin]

Kookoo-yeh Gol-kalam
Ingredients: (4 servings)

Small cauliflower, one

Eggs, 4 large

Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda, one teaspoon

Cooking oil

Salt

Black pepper

Directions:
Cut cauliflower into small pieces and wash. Add hot water and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then drain water. Soften cauliflower slightly using a fork.

Add salt and black pepper to eggs, and mix. Dissolve saffron in a bit of hot water and add to eggs. Also dissolve baking soda in a bit of cold water and add to eggs. Mix well.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radically into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.

[Rasputin]

Soup-e Jo - Cream of Barley Soup

The staple of all soups, this Persian cuisine classic is an all time favorite for all seasons. Mother makes it when you are sick (adding some chicken), and it serves as a hearty meal on a cold winter night. What is great about the soup is that you can add mushroom, whole pieces of chicken and a variety of fresh vegetables to add a new twist the the basic recipe.


Here we have the basic recipe listed but feel free to experiment with it.


Ingredients

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup of barley
4 cups of water
3 cups of chicken broth
1 carrot, grated
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cuo pf sour cream
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions

A favorite among all, this classic




recipe is easy to make and good for the soul. Similar to 'chicken soup' it is a healthy alternative to the heavier 'Aash' recipes and great for cold weather.

To make soup-e jo (barley), prepare some chicken broth and set aside. In a large pot, brown onions and garlic in the oil, and add barely, salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes and add water and bring to boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until barley is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth, carrot, leeks, sour cream and simmer covered for 30 minutes or so. Add lime juice to the soup to taste. You can also garnish with parsley and more lime juice to taste. You can also make this recipe with pieces of chicken in it which offers a good alternative for a whole meal.

[Sepideh_UK]

I knew this already but cheerz anyway.