Sour Cherry Rice – Persian: Albaloo Polow

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) chicken breast
1 pound (450 grams) long grain or basmati rice
1 pound (450 grams) sour cherries
2/3 pound (300 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons sliced pistachios or almonds
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

- Soak rice in 4 cups of water for one hour. Bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoon of salt and rice. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes over high heat. Taste one kernel. Rice should be soft on the outside and slightly hard on the inside. When ready, drain the rice into a large colander.
- Peel onions and cut them into small pieces. In a sauce pan, add chicken, onions, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of water and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Cut chicken into small cubes.
- Seed sour cherries. Add sugar to cherries and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Let it cool down and remove syrup.
- In a large non-stick pan, add 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and half of the rice. Top it with chicken and cherries. Then add the rest of the rice and syrup. Cover and cook over low heat for about 25minutes.
- Dissolve saffron in 1/4 cup of hot water. Transfer the rice to a serving platter and garnish with saffron and sliced pistachios or almonds.

Noosh e Jan!

Coriander Omelette - Persian: Kookoo Sabzi

8 Servings

Ingredients

2/3 pound coriander
2/3 pound dill
1/3 pound scallion
1/3 pound parsley
4 ounces fenugreek
2 lettuce leaves
8 eggs
1 tablespoon wheat flour
3 tablespoons crushed walnut
6 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

- Chop vegetables very finely. Beat eggs with fork until foamy and soft but not stiff. Mix eggs with chopped vegetables, salt, pepper, flour and walnuts.
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat half of the oil and add the mixture. Level the surface with a spatula. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Turn it over to fry the other side. Add the rest of the oil and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Noosh e Jan!

Lentil Rice – Persian: Adas Polow

6 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound (225 grams) ground lamb or beef
1 pound (450 grams) long grain or basmati rice
1/2 pound (225 grams) lentils
1/3 pound (150 grams) raisins
1/3 pound (150 grams) dates
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 large onion
4 tablespoons cooking oil
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

- Soak rice in 4 cups of water for one hour. Bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoon of salt and rice. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes over high heat. Taste one kernel. Rice should be soft on the outside and slightly hard on the inside. When ready, drain the rice into a large colander.
- Peel onions and cut them into small square pieces. In a sauce pan, fry onions in 2 tablespoons of oil until golden. Add meat, salt and pepper to the pan and fry until color turns brown. Add 1 cup of water and cook uncovered until water evaporates.
- Cook lentils with 3 cups of water over medium heat for 15 minutes until tender. Drain lentils into a colander.
- In a large non-stick pan, add 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and half of the rice. Top it with meat, lentils, dates, and raisins. Then add the rest of the rice. Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Dissolve saffron in 1/4 cup of hot water. Transfer the rice to a serving platter and garnish with saffron.

Noosh e Jan!

Wheat Porridge - Persian: Haleem

12 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) lamb or turkey breast
1 pound (450 grams) cracked or ground wheat
1 large onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

- Soak ground wheat in 3 cups of water overnight.
- In a large sauce pan, cook wheat with 6 cups of water over low heat for one hour. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- Peel onion and cut it in half. In another sauce pan, add meat, onion, salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for one hour. Then, take meat out of the pan and mash.
- Add mashed meat and broth to the wheat. Cook over low heat for another 30 minutes. Stir frequently until the mixture thickens.
- Ladle Haleem into serving bowls and garnish with a small dollop of butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

Haleem is served hot for breakfast during fall and winter.

Noosh e Jan!

Cucumber Yogurt - Persian: Mast o Khiar

2 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt
2 Persian cucumbers
1 tablespoon fresh mint
2 tablespoons dried mint
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/6 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

- Cool cucumbers and yogurt in the fridge for at least an hour. Peel cucumbers and cut them into small pieces. Chop fresh mint leaves finely. Add cucumbers, mint, salt and pepper to yogurt.

Serve cool immediately.

Noosh e Jan!

Eggplant Stew - Persian: Koresh e Badenjan

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) lamb or beef
8 small eggplants
2 medium onions
5 small tomatoes
2 tablespoons sour grapes
1/2 teaspoon saffron or turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9 tablespoons cooking oil


Directions

- Peel and slice eggplants lengthwise into ½ inch (1 cm) thickness. If using larger American eggplant, cut each slice in half lengthwise again. Add salt and let them rest for one hour. Then rinse eggplants with cold water and dry.
- Peel onions and cut them into small square pieces. In a sauce pan, fry onions in 3 tablespoons of oil until golden. Cut meat into small cubes. Add meat to the pan and fry until color turns brown. Bring 2 cups of water to boil and add to the meat. Cover and simmer for one hour.
- In a skillet pan, fry sliced eggplants in 6 tablespoons of oil until slightly golden.
- Quarter tomatoes. Rub saffron between your fingers to crush it. Then add saffron or turmeric, tomatoes, sour grapes, eggplants, salt, and pepper to the sauce pan. Cover and cook over low heat for another 30 minutes.

Serve Khoresh e Badenjan with plain white rice (Polow).

Noosh e Jan!

Sumac Soup - Persian: Ash e Somagh

Servings

Ingredients

Directions

Why am I writing this blog?

Summer of 2009 is gone. My parents and my husband are gone too. I fulfilled my first year goal. But now I feel so empty. I have to define a new goal for this year. Today, I was at the library looking for some financial and cookbooks and I just realized what I like to do this year. Yes, I will write my blog on the art of Persian cooking.

My mom cooked few delicious Hamedani soups and saved some in my freezer. My father wrote their recipes in June when we were in Vancouver. I promised them to write the recipes but got overwhelmed with life and totally forgot about it for a while!

So now I will start with my favorite soup, "Sumac Soup".