May 20, 2010

Mast-o-Artisho - Yogurt & Artichoke Dip


Ever since I moved here I have seen artichokes in vegetable stores and supermarkets, but I never picked one up. It didn't look like any kind of vegetable that I grew up with and was used to. It was different, looked rough, prickly and unappealing. It also seemed a bit labor intensive and I had no time or patience to invest in finding a recipe and cooking artichoke. We simply met at the wrong time and the wrong place! The only time I got to taste it was at a friend's house and I was unimpressed. It didn't taste that great after all. So, I  basically never tried artichokes ever since. However, that has changed recently since I now find myself utterly fascinated by all kind of vegetables from anywhere with any shape, taste, or color. I like to learn about vegetables, cook them and do a little experiment to see if I can use them in a Persian dish! I cooked a few in an easy and simple way and I was pleasantly surprised. Here's my first attempt at making ماست و آرتیشو/ بورانی آرتیشو yogurt and artichoke the Persian way.


Mast-o-Artisho/Borani Artisho

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 cups plain yogurt
2 artichokes
1-2 tablespoons dried mint or 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped *optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of a lemon

Method:
  1. To prepare the artichokes, trim the bottom, cut off the tips, remove the hardest outer layers and cut them in half. To prevent the artichokes from discoloration squeeze some lemon juice over them right after trimming. Steam them in a pan with a 1-2 cups of water over medium heat  for 20-30 minutes. Once cooked, remove pan from heat and let cool. Then scoop out the artichoke hearts and chop them into small pieces.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine yogurt, artichoke hearts, mint and garlic. Add salt and pepper and mix well.  Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with mint leaves (fresh or dried) and chopped walnuts.
  3. Chill for a couple of hours and serve.
This is a great side dish for most Persian meals and goes well with any rice and khoresh dishes.

Enjoy!

11 comments:

  1. Wow, I stopped by when I saw you posted something on artichokes on twitter. This recipe sounds just delicious. I love the Persian take on cooking with artichokes, and cannot wait to try this version as I have several tasty artichokes in my refrigerator waiting to be used.

    Thanks for the mention about my post, and I am so glad you liked it.

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  2. I looove artichokes and these Persian style artichokes are definitely a must-try! I love anything with yogurt!

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  3. This is such a delicious combination with artichokes and yogurt, yummy dish!

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  4. Artichokes are definitely a bit out there and kind of a pain to deal with but when prepared right, they are so delicious. This looks so intriguing!

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  5. I love love LOVE artichokes!! Mast-o-artisho sounds delicious! :)

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  6. I love Persian food but I don't really have experience with it. Glad we came across each other on Foodbuzz. This looks delish!

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  7. I did not know this artichoke dish and I love it! I can't wait to try it.

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  8. This looks lovely and so healthful. Nice and light, just in time for summer. Confession time: I only use artichokes that have already been prepped. As in jarred, frozen, or canned. I love them! Maybe one day I'll work up the courage to clean and prep from fresh chokes.

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  9. Artichoke and yogurt...sounds delicious over rice...just recently I learned to add yogurt in rice...this will be a new version of it :-)

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  10. This looks beautiful *and* delicious! I love mast and I love artichokes too. Interestingly enough, my friend (also named Azita) just discovered artichokes recently too! She was asking me how to cook them. I'm definitely going to send her this recipe!

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  11. Azita Joon, it isn't artichoke season, but I am loving this dish and wish I could have it right now x s

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