Sohan Asali - Persian Honey and Saffron Almond Candy

This past weekend marked my third year anniversary blogging about Persian cuisine, which is the kind of food I grew up with and to this day love to make all the time and gladly share it with you. When I ventured into the world of food blogging I never thought that one day I would be celebrating my blog's 3rd anniversary! The title of my blog, "Turmeric and Saffron" best describes my late mother's kitchen, with her spice jars and herb bottles everywhere on the counter and shelves, except for her small container of deep red saffron threads from Mashhad tucked away in a cupboard. Among the blend of intoxicating aromas in our ashpaz-khaneh (kitchen) there were various yellow turmeric-stained wooden spatulas, mismatched kitchen rags, her favorite plasco plastic containers and an array of over-sized pots and pans. Then there she was, in the middle of the kitchen meticulously preparing food for her family while beautifully humming a tune by one of her favorite singers such as Delkash, Elaheh and Marzieh.

Almost every meal that we ate at home was cooked by my mother from start to finish, since she would not allow any helpers to cook for us. She was very picky when it would come to cooking and eating. Of course baking was an exception to this rule. My mother would use zardchoobeh (turmeric) extensively to enhance the flavor and improve the aroma of meat dishes, stews and any recipe that involved using lamb or chicken. When making the traditional abgousht/abgoosht (lamb stew) she would add a full teaspoon of turmeric to the boiling water before adding the lamb shanks and the other ingredients, a cooking technique that I only saw in her kitchen. Zaferan (saffron) on the other hand was used in most rice dishes and some sweets such as shole-zard to give a bold flavor, gorgeous natural orange-reddish color and a delicious aroma. She would usually pour a estekan (small tea cup) of saffron-water mixture over the parboiled rice in the pot before placing the towel covered lid back on the pot to steam. My mother had a vast knowledge of herbal medicine, plants, food ingredients as well as how to make healthy food choices. It is not only writing down my mother's recipes and my memories of growing up in Iran that bring me joy and keep me connected to my roots but more importantly it's the simple sharing of my mother's recipes that I find even more fulfilling.

For this sweet occasion I'm making سوهان عسلی sohan asali (honey and almond candy). For best results I recommend using butter instead of vegetable oil. Even though flavored honey is not used in making this candy I like to use the orange blossom honey for an added flavor. I would also like to lightly toast the slivered almonds to improve the aroma and the taste. While cooking, the content becomes very hot so it would be wonderful if someone could give you a hand at the end when you are dropping the spoonful of the hot mixture onto the parchment paper since it dries quickly and you still need to sprinkle the ground pistachios on top. Otherwise, you've got to be very quick.

Sohan Asali - Persian Honey and Saffron Almond Candy

Ingredients:
Makes about 20 pieces

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rose water
1/2 teaspoon saffron powder
1/4 cup pistachios, crushed for garnish

Method:

1. Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper and leave the crushed pistachios nearby.
2. In a medium sized heavy pot combine sugar, honey, oil and rose water on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir and swirl the pot around a few times.
3. Lower the heat and add in the almonds into the sugar mixture, stir frequently, cook for another 7-10 minutes or until they turn light golden.
4. Add the crushed saffron and gently stir with a wooden spoon.
5. When the almonds are well coated with this caramel color syrup, start spooning out the mixture on the parchment paper as quickly as you can and sprinkle the pistachios on top. Allow them to cool completely.
6. Remove the sohan asali from the tray, store in an airtight container and serve them the next day.

Serve with a hot cup of tea.

* I have tweaked and made some minor changes to the original recipe. I have cut the amount of sugar and made it vegan.

Enjoy!

Moraba-ye Beh - Persian Quince Jam with Cardamom and Rose Water

Recently, a reader left a comment on my blog asking for a recipe for quince jam, and that's when I decided to make this gorgeous, colorful, and fragrant preserve while quinces are still in season. مربای به (Persian quince jam) was always part of a typical Persian sobhaneh (breakfast) back home in Iran. breakfast often included freshly baked warm bread, barbari, taftoon, or sangak, straight from the tanoor, a hot cup of freshly brewed chai (tea), sarshir (breakfast cream), panir (my favorite is Lighvan), butter, and honey. 

Among the many jams, quince jam stood out with its beautiful color, aroma. and delicate sweetness. I recommend making a large batch, because this is the kind of jam you'll find yourself eating right out of the jar. I wish I could tell you how long it lasts in the fridge, but after a month, I honestly wouldn't know; it never makes it that long in our house. 

It's truly amazing to watch the transformation of this light yellow, tart, and woody fruit into a sweet fruit jam with a deep, ruby-red color and a texture soft enough to melt in your mouth.

This time of year, when quince is in season, is the perfect time to make the hearty one-pot meal known as tas kabab layered with slices of quince, or the comforting fall favorite khoresh-e beh (quince stew).  Quince has a thin, delicate skin that usually doesn't need to be peeled; just rinse it well, and with a sharp knife, gently remove the core. Don't throw away the seeds! They have long been used in Iranian homes for their medicinal properties. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, a teaspoon of quince seeds steeped in a cup of hot water can help soothe a minor sore throat and chest discomfort.. Nothing from this beautiful fruit goes to waste!

Moraba-ye Beh - Persian Quince Jam

Ingredients

Makes about 4 pint jars 

-7 medium-sized quinces, rinse well under running water, pat dry, remove any brown spots and core, slice or cut into bite-sized pieces
-2 cups sugar (adjust to taste)
-3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
-1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or 2-3 whole cardamom pods 
-1 tablespoon rose water (optional)

- 4 cups of water

Method

1.  Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the sliced quince.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and 4 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, uncovered. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. 
3. Stir in the cardamom and add the quince slices to the syrup. Bring it back to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the remaining lemon juice, and if necessary, add a little more water.
4. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. To achieve that deep ruby-red color, try not to remove the lid during cooking to ensure that the quince slices develop the desired rich color. 
5. Add the rose water and simmer for another few minutes.
6. Remove from heat and let the jam cool.
7. Ladle it into sterilized jars, seal tightly, and refrigerate.

Serve for breakfast with butter, cheese, and warm bread, or as a topping with thick yogurt or vanilla ice cream. 

Enjoy!

Turkish Coffee - Persian Armenian Style

As a kid I used to see my mother drinking ghahveh turk (Turkish coffee) in small coffee cups with her friends and neighbors during their gatherings while talking about almost anything under the blue sky. They usually would meet for an hour or two in the morning in between sending their kids off to school, tidying up the house and preparing lunch for their husbands who would come back home for lunch. My mother learned to make Turkish coffee from her Armenian neighbor when she was just a young newlywed and had moved to a new home and a new town. This warm and friendly Armenian family with grown kids welcomed her to the neighborhood and their home. They eased her sense of loneliness and in them my mother found the family that she had left behind for marriage. That's where she had ghahveh turk for the first time and from then on she enjoyed drinking it as an occasional treat.

Over the years, my very dear Armenian friend Flora and I have developed a routine of meeting each other for breakfast, which is always at her place. Well she offers and I accept, you know they say never to refuse a good offer! She usually makes a delicious omelet with all kinds of vegetables with warm barbari bread, hot fresh brewed tea, and a tiny cup of  قهوه  ghahveh (coffee) at the end of our gathering just before I leave. Besides the good food and her warm hospitality we both have enjoyed our many deep an heartwarming conversations.                             

Having Turkish coffee at my friend Flora's house

Lighthearted fortune telling is a fun part of drinking Turkish coffee. We like to look for patterns and images on the walls of these tiny cups, anything that might resemble faces, birds, roads and valleys. 

 

Here's Flora's recipe for kofe/soorj:

Ingredients:
Serves 2

2 heaping teaspoons powdered roast coffee

2 cups water  (small-size coffee cups)

1 teaspoon sugar, may be adjusted to your liking 

Method:

1. In a small pot with a long handle combine finely powdered coffee, cool water and sugar. stir well.
2. Place the pot on medium heat and bring to a boil, watch closely as the coffee starts to rise in the pot and foam, remove the pot from heat and pour into each cup and serve.

Enjoy!

Morgh-e Torsh - Sour Chicken Stew with Fresh Herbs and Yellow Split Peas

I've been wanting to make مرغ ترش morgh-e torsh for quite some time, but somehow I never got around to it. However, I recently received a very kind email from a reader asking for this recipe along with a couple of other dishes from the northern province of Gilan, and I was inspired to write a post about it. This is a relatively easy dish to make, but the taste is just superb, and every bite is so full of flavor. Food from Shomal (northern Iran) has its own distinct flavor with its local vegetables that are hard to find anywhere else. Northern Iran is also known for its rice fields, tea plantations, and the caviar from Darya-ye Khazar (Caspian Sea).

This morgh-e torsh recipe was given to me by a very dear friend of mine for many years. My good friend Maryam is from the city of Rasht and currently lives in Toronto with her loving family. I met Maryam in college here in New York, and we instantly became friends. We hung out together, laughed, and complained of homesickness. After graduation, she moved away, we may lose contact briefly and periodically, but throughout the years, we have remained friends for life. Thanks to Maryam, I get to write about this amazing Gilani recipe.

I changed a couple of minor things here and there in the recipe. Maryam's recipe calls for one whole chicken. I used four pieces of boneless and skinless chicken breasts, which I cut into small pieces (about two pounds), and the second change is adding turmeric to the recipe. I just couldn't resist, and I added a pinch of turmeric powder while frying the chicken. 

Sour Chicken Stew with Fresh Herbs and Yellow Split Peas

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup yellow split peas
2 bunches of coriander, finely chopped
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Juice of  1-2  narenj (Seville orange/bitter orange) or juice of 1-2 lemon/lime, (the amount  may be adjusted to your taste and preferences)
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Oil

Method:

1. Clean and wash all fresh vegetables, remove the stems, and chop finely.
2. In a skillet, add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, saute the chopped onion, minced garlic, and the chopped vegetables on medium-low heat until soft and tender.
3. Cook the yellow split peas in 2 cups of water with a dash of salt for about 30 minutes or until they become soft. Discard the water.
4. Lightly fry the chicken pieces in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium heat until they are no longer pink. Add salt and pepper to taste. As I mentioned, I added a pinch of turmeric as well.
5. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients: the sauteed vegetable mixture, chicken pieces, and the yellow split peas. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat, add salt and pepper, and the juice of Seville orange or lemon juice to your liking. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about an hour until all the flavors come together, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Transfer the stew to a large serving bowl. Serve with kateh or polow, zeytoon parvardeh, and pickled garlic.
For a complete Gilani lunch or dinner, you may want to add Mirza Ghasemi to the menu as a side dish.
 
Enjoy!

Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup

Ever since I saw the recipe for shole maash online in the 19th-century Qajar Women Cookbook, I have been thinking about giving it a try. شله ماش  Sholeh Maash (mung beans with kohlrabi) makes a tasty and nutritious autumn soup. This recipe, like the others in the book, consists of a brief description of what the necessary ingredients are, and the word yek-meghdar (some) is frequently used to describe the amount needed for each ingredient. Persian cuisine is forgiving in terms of measurements, and when you ask a grandmother for a recipe, the answer is basically a list of the ingredients with yek-kami (a little bit) of this and yek-meghdar (some) of that, and that's how I, along with many other Iranians, learned to cook. I learned that you can use a little less or a little more of most ingredients in a recipe, depending on your taste and preferences. A few months into blogging, I bought a food scale to measure the ingredients by weight, but I have rarely used it.

Sholeh maash is not a thin and watery soup. It's a rather rich soup that can be served as a main dish. The original recipe calls for meat, but I've decided that it is substantial enough without the addition of any lamb or beef.

Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup

Ingredients:
Serves 6

1 1/2  cups green mung beans, rinse 2-3 times
1/2 cup rice, rinse well
3-4 medium-sized kohlrabi, peel and cut into small cubes, leave one cubed kohlrabi for the topping
1 large bunch of fresh tareh or scallions (green parts only), washed and chopped
1 small bunch of fresh tarragon, stems removed and chopped
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, diced
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 teaspoon red pepper *optional
1/3 teaspoon cumin *optional
Oil

Method:

1. Place the beans and the rice in a large pot, add 6 cups of water, and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. Add the small pieces of kohlrabi, salt, pepper, cover, and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.
3. Periodically check to see if you need to add more water to the soup.
4. Add the chopped vegetables, taste and adjust the seasoning, add more hot water if needed, and let it simmer for another 15 minutes for the flavors to blend in.
5. In the meantime, fry the sliced onions in 3-4 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil in a skillet until golden brown. Add the turmeric powder and the minced garlic to the oil, stir, and saute further for another five minutes.
6. Add a large tablespoon of the fried onion to the soup and gently mix well.
7. Lightly fry the cubed kohlrabi in 2-3 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil until soft and golden on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, turmeric, cumin, and red pepper and stir well.

To serve, ladle the soup into a soup bowl, top with the fried onions and kohlrabi. Serve hot with bread and yogurt.

Enjoy!

Kateh - Persian Style Plain and Simple Rice

We're in the final days of summer, and even as I savor every lingering warm evening, I feel a deep sense of gratitude and excitement for the arrival of fall and the start of another school year. The days of holding my daughters' little hands and walking them to the line outside of their classrooms have long since passed, but the memory is as vivid as ever. 

I still remember my eldest daughter's first day of first grade, how she walked into the classroom with such cheerful confidence while I stood there blinking back tears. As I turned and walked away, the realization washed over me: this was the beginning of a long journey into the world, a journey she would eventually take without me holding her hand. 

I have always wanted my girls to be independent, to stand firmly on their own two feet, to roam freely and bravely through life. But the truth is, letting go is never quite as easy as you imagine.

 I remember my own first day of first grade very clearly, but what stands out even more is the night before. In Iran, the school year begins on rooz-e aval-e mehr, the first day of the month of Mehr on the  Persian solar calendar, which also marks the first day of fall, the autumnal equinox on September 23rd.

That year, the night before school started was pure chaos in our home, with three older siblings in high school, another in elementary school, and a newborn baby brother; the house buzzed with noise and movement. Somehow, in all the commotion, as I was getting ready for bed, I realized I had no book bag, no lunch box, and no school uniform for the morning. I went to bed with the butterflies in my stomach, worried and unsure how I would show up for my next day.

But when I woke up,  everything had changed. There beside my pillow sat a brand-new lunchbox, a beautiful new book bag, and a hand-sewn uniform stitched by my mother. I never asked my parents how they managed to pull it all together so late at night. Some moments are too magical to disturb.

 First Grade Lesson, (Persian Alphabet)

کته Kateh is the easiest and quickest way to prepare rice, and it also happens to be the first recipe I learned to cook as a child.  My mother taught each of us how to make kateh when we were young. This simple, no-fuss method involves combining about two parts of water to one part cleaned and rinsed rice in a pot, adding a bit of salt and oil, and letting it gently simmer over low heat. 

I have posted many rice and polow recipes over the years, and except for dami baghali, they all follow the traditional method: bringing a large pot of water to a boil, adding the rice, draining it, and then steaming the parboiled rice with or without other ingredients. Kateh, however, uses the absorption method; nothing is drained, and the rice cooks until the water is fully absorbed. The grains may not turn out as fluffy as a classic polow, but they are more flavorful.

Depending on the type of rice, you may need to adjust the water-to-rice ratio. I prefer basmati rice for its flavor and beautiful aroma, and because it's the closest to the fragrant rice grown in the northern region of Iran. For less sticky, fluffier, and firmer kateh, use 2/3 cups of water for every cup of rice.

There's also the old Persian method of measuring the water for rice by simply covering the rice in the pot until it reaches the first joint of your index finger. with enough water in the pot to reach up to the first joint of your index finger. You can make kateh even more easily by using a rice cooker. But personally, I don't recommend it. There's a special joy in preparing a meal the old-fashioned way: taking the time, the care, and the small effort that turns a simple pot of rice into something meaningful and comforting.

Kateh - Persian Style Plain and Simple Rice

Ingredients

Serves 4

-2 cups dry basmati rice
-4 cups water
-Salt to taste
-butter or vegetable oil

Method:

1. Rinse the rice 2-3 times with cool water or until the water runs clear, and drain well. 
2. Place the rice in a medium pot, add 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
3. Once the water reaches a boil, add 2 tablespoons of oil or butter, depending on your preference, and gently stir once or twice with a wooden spoon.
4. Wrap the lid with a clean dishcloth, cover the pot, and cook on low heat for about 30-40 minutes.

Serve the rice on a platter with yogurt, salad, or your favorite khoresh.

Enjoy! Happy Autumn!

Salade Khorfeh - Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

Wouldn't it be nice to walk into your local farmers' market and find bunches of fresh khorfeh (purslane) bundled up and stacked neatly next to the basil and mint on the shelf? I am hopeful that one-day purslane will no longer be considered as just an annoying garden weed that's neglected.  Perhaps if instead of sprouting in every corner purslane was sowed and watered in vegetable gardens then it might have been appreciated more for its nutritional values, beauty and taste. But until then I am grateful that purslane grows everywhere and I can easily spot them on the lawn, in flower beds and next to the garden rocks. I appreciate purslane's generous and humble nature. This year, I have removed some of the purslanes and transplanted them into flower pots to use for cooking. These beautiful and succulent herbs have a distinct sweet and sour taste and are a perfect addition to a cucumber and tomato summer salad.

For this recipe I used small, young leaves of purslane that will go well with tiny pieces of Persian cucumber, firm tomatoes and onion known as salad shirazi.  The combination of these three main ingredients with the lemon juice and olive oil salad dressing is simply a perfect side to many delicious Iranian dishes. If the leaves are broad you may want to chop them into smaller pieces to blend well or just use the tender small leaves. سالاد خرفه Salade khorfeh goes well with khoresh bademjan. A spoonful of aromatic basmati saffron rice mixed with the velvety texture of eggplant sauce and topped with this tasty and crunchy salad is truly amazing!

Last summer, I posted a recipe for mast-o-khorfeh (yogurt with purslane). Tokhm-e khorfeh (purslane seeds) are used as a topping for naan berenji.

Salade Khorfeh - Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 cup purslane leaves
5 Persian cucumbers or any small and seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 firm plum tomatoes or any small ripe tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, (red or yellow), cut into small pieces, I used red onion.
1 teaspoon dried mint 
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine purslane, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and dried mint.
2. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Serve this beautiful and delicious salad cold or at room temperature with your favorite dish.

Enjoy!

Kabab Koobideh - Persian Grilled Ground Lamb On Skewers

I just couldn't let my third summer of blogging pass by without posting a recipe for the internationally-known Iranian dish: kabab koobideh/kabob kubide. In addition to this popular kabab, there's also the well-known kabab barg (grilled skewered lamb tenderloin) and the delectable joojeh kabab (grilled chicken), as well as many other types of kababs, which are served with chelow, the parboiled and steamed rice.

In our home, grilling has become one of the rituals and pleasures of the summer, but usually by mid-October, the gas grill gets cleaned, covered, and put away for the rest of the year until the trees bloom once again. On the other hand, growing up in Iran, it was always grilling season! Kababs were made all year-round, regardless of the weather conditions. Our barbecue grill was an old, overused but sturdy rectangular manghal (portable charcoal grill) left in the faraway corner of the yard year-round. But on kabab days, in a matter of minutes, my mother would bring the manghal to the center of the yard, place some zoghal (wood charcoal) in it, and start the fire. When the coals looked hot and glowing, she would place the kabab skewers on the fire. Kababs, like any other meal, were made solely by my mother from start to finish. She had the required ease and speed in preparing the meat, fanning the charcoal using a bad-bezan (straw hand fan), and at the same time frequently turning the skewers over so the meat wouldn't fall off. Then the cooked kababs and grilled tomatoes would be placed in between layers of fresh taftoon (flat bread) and immediately taken to the dining room table, where the aromatic rice, a small bowl of sumac, fresh basil leaves, quartered raw onions, yogurt, and a pitcher of ice-cold doogh (yogurt drink) were already placed.

Traditionally, کباب کوبیده koobideh is made with ground lamb. However, ground lean beef or a combination of the two could be used too. This is the kind of kabab that needs meat with some fat on it. Koobideh is basically made with very few ingredients, consisting of ground meat, grated onion, salt, and pepper. Adding a teaspoon of sumac, turmeric, saffron, or any other ingredient is totally optional and depends on one's individual tastes and preferences. I'm not a big fan of using (joosh-e shirin) baking soda in cooking, but a few times I have taken my friend's advice and added a teaspoon of baking soda to tenderize the meat mixture, and I liked the result. I like to buy the meat on the same day that I'm grilling, but if you decide to do your shopping a day in advance, it's better to prepare the mixture and keep it in the refrigerator. Kababs are always served with grilled tomatoes, but grilling other vegetables such as onions, hot green peppers or corn is optional. Serving this dish with raw eggs on top, as was common in the past, is no longer advisable due to health reasons.

Kabab Koobideh - Persian Grilled Ground Lamb On Skewers

Ingredients:
 Serving: 8 skewers

2 pounds finely ground lamb (grind it 2-3 times)
1 large onion, grated, and squeeze out the juice
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

For Grilled Vegetables:

4 medium firm and ripe tomatoes, cut in half
2 medium onions, quartered (optional)
8 hot green peppers (optional)

 Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with your hands until the mixture becomes well blended and sticky. Set aside at room temperature for at least an hour.
2. Leave a bowl of water next to you on the counter for dipping your hands to prevent stickiness while placing the lamb on the skewers.
3. You may divide the ground lamb into equal portions in advance or take a handful and shape it into an oval and place it on a flat and long metal skewer, and press it onto the skewer, making sure that both ends are sticking as well. The thickness and the length of the kababs depend on your preferences. When all the skewers are done, set aside for at least half an hour.
4. Turn on the gas grill and make sure it's very hot, and then one by one, place the skewers on the grill. Turn each skewer over quickly and continue to do so until the lamb is browned on both sides and well-cooked.
5. Place the vegetables directly on the hot grill, or place them on the thin metal or wooden skewers and grill over the flame.

Set the table in advance, place all the necessary condiments you would need for the meal, serve the rice on a platter, and then bring the kabab platter to the table with the grilled vegetables.

Enjoy!

Dami Baghali -Turmeric Rice With Yellow Fava Beans and Caramelized Onions

دمی باقالی/باقلا Dami baghali is a combination of rice and dried yellow fava beans cooked together slowly over low heat. The result is a flavorful rice and beans dish that is best served with a bowl of mast-o-khiar, salad Shirazi or torshi (my favorite). Nothing beats having this delicious home-cooked meal on a summer day with your family. Dami baghali is one of my husband's favorite dishes and he is usually the one who buys the fava beans for this dish or anything that resembles them! Not too long ago though he mistakenly bought lupini beans instead of fava beans from an Italian market. I still haven't figured out what to do with all these beans and how to cook them.

There are different recipes for this rice and beans dish, and the difference basically depends on one's tastes and preferences. Some would add a tablespoon of tomato paste or fresh chopped tomatoes. Some serve it with fried eggs (sunny side up), and some people prefer it hot. It may also be served with lamb shanks. The following recipe is how I like to make and serve dami baghali in our home, simple with no meat and with caramelized onions on top. I also like to use equal portions of rice and fava beans. However, it is more common to use anywhere from 1/2 cup to two cups more rice than fava beans. Instead of increasing the amount of rice, you may reduce the fava beans to 1 1/2 cups in this recipe if you like.

Dami Baghali -Turmeric Rice With Yellow Fava Beans and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups dried yellow skinless fava beans
2 cups white long-grain rice
2 large yellow onions, one onion diced finely, one sliced thinly
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
A pinch of red pepper (optional)
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil or olive oil



Method:

1. Rinse and soak the beans in 4 cups of cool water for a couple of hours. Drain. 
2. Rinse the rice with cool water and soak it in 4 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of salt for about an hour before cooking. Drain.
3. Heat about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, saute until lightly golden brown. Add turmeric, stir well. Add the beans, cumin, and red pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stirring intermittently.
4. Add the rice to the pot and pour enough water to cover the rice and the beans about an inch above the rice. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel to absorb the moisture. Cover the pot and cook for about 45-50 minutes on low heat.
5. In the meantime, saute the remaining sliced onions in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the onions become soft and transparent, reduce the heat to low and let them caramelize slowly.

Serve rice on a platter, spoon the caramelized onions over top, and serve with mast-o-khiar, salad shirazi or torshi.

***

It would be nice to have love reciprocated 

one sided love is trouble

if Majnun's heart was filled with maddening love

Layli's heart was brimming with more intense love

~Poem by:  Baba Taher

Enjoy!

Persian Koofteh Berenji - Rice Kufta (Guest Post)

 کوفته برنجی Koofteh berenji (rice meatballs) made with rice, beef, yellow split peas, finely chopped fresh herbs and stuffed with chopped walnuts and prunes, simmered in a simple and tasty tomato sauce is a flavorful main dish.

Koofteh Berenji - Rice Kufta

Ingredients:

Makes about 10 Koofteh

1 pound lean ground lamb or beef

1 cup rice

1 cup yellow split peas

2 large onions, one grated and one onion thinly slices

1 egg

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and finely chopped (1 cup packed)

1 bunch of fresh dill, washed and finely chopped

1 bunch of fresh chives or scallions (green parts only), washed and finely chopped

1 bunch of fresh tarragon, washed and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 1/2  teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of hot water

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil/ vegetable oil

For the Filling:

Barberries, prunes, fried onion, walnuts

Method:

1. wash the rice a couple of times. . Drain. In a medium-sized pot, mix the rice, 2 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. 
2. Place yellow split peas and 4 cups of water in a medium-sized pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. If the liquid is left, drain and set it aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rice, peas, ground meat, onion, chopped vegetables, chickpea flour, turmeric, saffron, salt, and pepper to taste.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and blend in well with the rest of the ingredients. Take a handful or 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape it into a ball. You make a hole in the middle and stuff some barberries, raisins, walnuts, and fried onions inside.
5. In a large pot, saute sliced onions in 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When transparent, add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stir well.
6. Pour 5 cups of water into the pot, bring to a gentle boil, and one by one place each koofteh into the pot, and cook for about 50-60 minutes on medium-low heat.  Do not cover the pot completely. You may place a colander upside down over the top. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add more water if necessary. 

Serve warm with mast o khiar, pickles, sabzi khordan (fresh herbs), and bread.

Enjoy!

Mint Cucumber Sekanjabin Ice Pops - Ancient Persian Drink Meets the New World

Summer is almost here, with its typical hot and humid weather and the all too familiar music of the ice cream truck driving through the neighborhood, followed by the excited screams of the neighbor's kids. So, I thought what better way to welcome the summer than with a mint and cucumber سکنجبین sekanjabin - but not the usual ancient cool beverage or the syrup dip served with fresh lettuce, but as ice pops! These are not your average frozen pops. They have the sweet and sour combination flavor that is typical of Iranian cuisine, with vinegar and honey/sugar. Ice pops are a wonderful treat any time of the year but having a tasty ice pop on a hot summer day is just a delightful experience. I still remember the taste of the orange popsicles that I used to buy from the corner grocery store of my grandmother's house in Tehran. When my children were little, they enjoyed their ice pops from the ice cream truck after swimming in the pool in the summer. Now, I usually get a box or two of multi-colored ice pops and that lasts us the entire summer.

سکنجبین - Sekanjabin syrup is usually served in a small bowl and eaten with fresh lettuce leaves. Sekanjabin drink is made with 2-3 tablespoons of sekanjabin, ice, water and grated cucumbers. Even though I absolutely love the taste of sekanjabin now, I didn't appreciate its strong flavor and aroma as a kid. Now, by trying to turn this delicious drink into a بستنی یخی bastani yakhi popsicle, I'm hoping it will appeal to the younger generation and those of us kids at heart. This is a simple recipe and a fun one to do with the kids over the summer. I have made few changes in my sekanjabin recipe to make these pops more palatable.

Long before the discovery of electricity and the invention of the refrigerator, having an ice-cold drink on hot summer days required some planning, hard work and patience. Yakhchal (ice pits) were built in hot and dry areas to make ice during the winter and to preserve it for use in the summer. As a child, I visited one of these yakhchals in the south of Tehran with my mother. The image of that man-made ancient refrigerator, which was made out of mud and clay, is still etched in my mind and makes me appreciate making ice-pops in a much more convenient freezer.

Mint Cucumber Sekanjabin Ice Pops - Ancient Persian Drink Meets the New World

Ingredients:
Makes 8 pops

1/2 cup honey *(I used orange blossom honey for its delicate scent and mild flavor but any other fruit flavored honey will do)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar *(I chose apple cider vinegar over white vinegar for its milder taste and for a bit of a fruity flavor)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest *(to add a hint of citrus taste)
1 small bunch of fresh mint, washed
3 Persian cucumbers, shredded or thinly sliced
1 teaspoon rosewater

Method:

1. In a heavy-bottom pot, combine honey, sugar and water, place on medium heat, bring the water to a boil, stir until honey and sugar are dissolved, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until it thickens a little bit. 
2. Add vinegar, lemon zest and mint leaves, stir and simmer for another 7-8 minutes.
3.  Remove foams with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the flavors.
4. Add a teaspoon of rosewater, remove from heat and let cool completely and then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. 
5. Place a teaspoon of shredded cucumber and a couple of mint leaves in each mold. Pour the mixture into Popsicle molds. I used this ice pop mold. Insert the ice pop sticks and place in the freezer until firm, about 3-4 hours.

Enjoy!