Dopiazeh Aloo

A while back, I received a comment on my blog from a reader asking about an Iranian potato recipe. She wrote that she had just returned from a trip to Iran, where she had enjoyed a wonderful potato dish in Shiraz. After cooking and eating Persian food for over twenty years, she said she had never come across this dish before; it wasn't a kookoo sibzamini (potato kookoo) or a cutlet. This dish had been served at both breakfast and lunch, and when she asked about it, a server told her it was a local specialty. Curious,  I asked one of my Shirazi friends about it. Without hesitation, she said, "Oh, that must be Dopiazeh Aloo!" 

Dopiazeh is a traditional dish from Shiraz, made with an abundance of onions ("do piaz", literally means "two onions") and either cubed or ground lamb/beef, chicken, shrimp, and potatoes. In Shiraz, the word aloo, which usually means "plum" in Persian, is also used to mean "potato." Here's the link for my ground beef Dopiazeh (Two Onions).

Dopiazeh Aloo - Shirazi Style - دوپیازه آلو شیرازی

Ingredients
Serves 2

-1 pound small potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cubed
-2 large onions, sliced
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
-1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
-A pinch of dried fenugreek leaves
-A pinch of red pepper
-Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
-1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)


Method

1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until tender and not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the sliced onions and sauté over medium-high heat until they are soft. Stir in the turmeric and cook for another minute. 
4. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add the cubed potatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and a pinch of fenugreek. Stir gently to coat the potatoes without mashing them.
6. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes until everything is well blended. Drizzle with fresh lime juice and serve.

Serve warm with bread, pickles, salad shirazi, and mast o khiar.

Enjoy!

Haft Seen Table - Nowruz 2018!

Persian New Year (Spring equinox) has officially arrived! It doesn't quite feel like it where I live since it is still cold and the flowers have yet to bloom but I remember how the warmth of spring should feel, with the fresh emerald green grass covering the ground and vibrant flowers everywhere. I am grateful that I had experienced Nowruz back home in Iran where I grew up. The excitement and enthusiasm that I felt celebrating Eid-e Nowruz in Iran has stayed with me all these years and inspires me to recreate what I have learned and to share it with my family and all of you! Let's celebrate the renewal and the rejuvenation of nature with our loved ones and set the Haft Seen table with items representing health, prosperity, rebirth, fertility, beauty, light, and love.

Sabzeh symbolizes rebirth and spring

Seeb (apple) symbolizes beauty

Senjed symbolizes love

Somagh (sumac) symbolizes the spice of life

Seer (garlic) symbolizes health and to ward off bad omens

Samanoo (wheat pudding) symbolizes the reward of patience

 Serkeh (vinegar) symbolizes age

Tokhm-e Morgh Rangi (Colorful Eggs) symbolizes fertility

Mahi Ghermez (Goldfish) symbolizes life

Candle symbolizes Light

Spring Flowers

Ayneh (mirror) symbolizes reflection

Divan-e Hafez

Happy Nowruz! Happy Spring!سال نو مبارک 

Khagineh - Iranian Sweet Omelette from Sofreh At'ameh - A Qajar Dynasty Cookbook

I recently received a copy of سفره اطعمه Sofreh At'ameh, a delightful cookbook written in 1881 by Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Kashani, the royal head chef to the court of ناصرالدین شاه قاجار  Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), the fourth king of the Qajar dynasty. The French Dr. Joseph Desire Tholozan was the chief physician to the king for more than 30 years. He asked the آشپزباشی ashpazbashi (chef) of the royal court to put together a guide detailing the king's diet, eating habits, and his typical daily menu, to be able to serve him better. Sofreh At'ameh is filled with bits and pieces of information that give one a glimpse into the past. This book is a compilation of recipes, ingredients, and virtually everything that was served in the royal palace for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including sharbat (sweet drinks), khoresh (stew), ash (soup), polow (rice), moraba (jam), and torshi (pickles).

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

Joseph DésiréTholozan

There are many timeless recipes in this book that I think most Iranians know by heart as well as new recipes that are definitely worth trying. There are also a few dishes that I had forgotten about and reading this book helped refresh my memory. One of those recipes was خاگینه khagineh. I remember Maman serving a delicious fluffy sweet omelet that could also be eaten as a dessert. Back then I never thought to ask her how she made it and the recipe never made it into my handwritten recipe journal. Yet, when I saw it in the book I knew I had to make it. However, like many old cookbooks, most of the recipes in this book lack exact measurements. Therefore, the following is my adaptation of its khagineh recipe. 

Khagineh - Sweet Omelette
Adapted from Sofreh At'ameh 

Ingredients:
Serves 2

-3 large eggs
-1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-2 tablespoons butter
-A little dash of salt (optional)

Sugar Syrup

-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup sugar
-Pinch ground cardamom
-Pinch ground saffron

Method

1. In a small pot, combine water and sugar, bring water to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the cardamom and saffron. Stir well and let simmer uncovered on low heat for another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.
3. Add in the flour and mix well.
4. In a nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it has melted. Pour in the egg mixture all at once. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes or until eggs are almost set but not hard, and gently flip the eggs using a thin spatula and cook for another two minutes. Slice the eggs and slowly pour the syrup over the eggs, and cook for another minute or until the syrup is fully absorbed. You may use other sweeteners such as honey or grape molasses. 

Transfer onto a platter and serve warm or at room temperature. I added a tiny pinch of dried, crushed rose petals and a little powdered sugar for dusting.

*Historical Cookbook recipes:

Borani Kangar-Yogurt and Cardoon Dip - A Qajar Era Recipe
Sholeh Maash - Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Soup - A Qajar Era Recipe
Ash-e Jo - Barley Soup with Spinach and Cilantro -A Safavid Era Recipe

Enjoy!