July 10, 2018

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 come back from a trip to Iran and she enjoyed a wonderful potato dish in Shiraz. After cooking and eating Persian food for twenty years she had not come across this dish before and she knew that it wasn't a potato kookoo or cutlet. This potato dish was served at breakfast and lunch and a server told her that it was a local dish. After reading this comment I asked one of my Shirazi friends about the recipe and without any hesitation, she said it's dopiazeh aloo! Dopiazeh is a traditional dish from Shiraz and it can be made with cubed or ground lamb/beef, chicken, shrimp, potatoes and a copious amount of sliced onions. Aloo in Farsi/Persian means plum and it's also a term used in Shiraz to mean potatoes. 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
Vegetable oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)


Method:

  1. Place potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook uncovered on low for 15-20 minutes or until tender and not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry over medium-high heat until soft. Add turmeric powder, stir. 
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
  5. Add the cubed potatoes, salt, pepper, a pinch of fenugreek, red pepper, stir gently until well blended, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes until flavors come together. Add a little fresh lime juice and serve.
Serve with warm bread, pickles, salad shirazi and mast o khiar.

Enjoy!

March 20, 2018

Haft Seen Table - Nowruz 2018!

Persian New Year Celebration

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 

January 26, 2018

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
1-2 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!