Kalam Polow Shirazi - Shirazi Rice with Meatballs, Herbs and Kohlrabi Fries
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
2 cups long grain rice
1 pound ground beef
3-4 medium kohlrabi (kalam ghomri), peeled and sliced into french-fry strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch of fresh basil (raihan), chopped
1 large bunch of fresh tarragon (tarkhoon), chopped
1 bunch of fresh مرزه marzeh (savory), chopped, I couldn't find it fresh so I used 1/3 cup dried savory
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chickpea flour (optional)
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of cumin powder (zireh)
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of cumin powder (zireh)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil
Water
Method:
Meatballs:
- In a medium-sized bowl combine ground beef, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, mixing well. Shape into small meatballs.
- In a frying pan, heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil and saute sliced onions over medium heat until golden brown, add turmeric, a pinch of cayenne and cumin, stir well. Place meatballs in the pan, spread them out and brown on all sides. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs over the meatballs, reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Herb Mixture:
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lightly saute the herbs together over moderately low heat for 2-3 minutes, just enough for the flavors to come together. Don't fry these herbs and, if you prefer, you can skip this step altogether and layer the rice with fresh herbs.
- If you are using dried herbs, soak them in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes, discard water, towel dry any excess water before sauteing them.
Kohlrabi Fries:
- In a large frying pan, heat 5-7 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat. When hot, add the kohlrabi fries and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning them a few times until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle salt to taste. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like.
Rice:
- Wash rice with cool water a few times and soak rice in 4 cups of water and some salt for 2 hours.
- In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil on high heat . Drain rice and gently pour into the boiling water. Bring water back to boil for 10-15 minutes. Test the rice to see if it's done -- rice grains should be soft on the outside and firm on the inside. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Clean out the pot and return to the stove, add 2-3 tablespoons oil to the pot on medium to high heat. With a spatula, place rice in the pot, layer it with herbs, meatballs and some of the fries, building it into a pyramid shape. Make 2-3 holes in the rice to let the steam out. Cook for about ten minutes or until the steam starts to come out, pour 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup of water over the rice, lower the heat, cover and cook for 50 minutes.
Serve rice on a platter, top with the rest of the kohlrabi fries and garnish with chopped fresh herbs. It may be served with yogurt, salad, pickles (eggplant torshi).
Enjoy!