Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi

Over the years, many of my readers have requested vegetarian recipes. At first, I hesitated, because I've always believed that Iranian cuisine is naturally vegetarian-friendly and already offers many meatless options. If you look through my recipe index, you'll find plenty of examples, hearty bean-based dishes like Ash Reshteh and the Seven-Bean Soup, or vegetable-focused favorites such as Koo Koo Sabzi and Koo Koo Sibzamini. 

Even when it comes to polow (rice dishes) and khoresh (stews) that traditionally include meat, you can simply leave it out or make a small adjustment to enjoy these meals in a fully vegetarian way. Growing up in Iran, I only knew a handful of vegetarians, but today, more and more people are either vegetarian, vegan, or simply reducing their intake of red meat like lamb and beef for health reasons. With just a few substitutions, many Iranian recipes can be adapted to fit a vegetarian lifestyle.

I'm a firm believer in maintaining the integrity of Iranian cuisine, and I've always been reluctant to make drastic changes to our beloved recipes. I feel deeply grateful to the culinary magicians of the past who created many timeless dishes for us to enjoy across generations. Sometimes I wonder if the inventors of ghormeh sabzi or fesenjoon ever imagined their creations would transcend time and borders, continuing to bring joy to so many around. 

For today's recipe, I'm sharing my vegetarian take on one of the most beloved stews: ghormeh sabzi.  There are a few simple ways you can customize it to fit a meat-free lifestyle. The easiest option is simply to omit the meat altogether.  You can increase the beans (red kidney beans or pinto beans) by an extra 1/2 cup (or more if you like). Another option is to substitute the meat with tofu, tempeh, or seitan. My personal favorite, however, is baby bella mushrooms. Their flavor, rich brown color, and meaty texture make them both flavorful and substantial.

Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi

Ingredients

Serving 4-6

- 1 cup dried red kidney beans or pinto beans, soaked overnight
-10 oz baby bella mushrooms or large portabella, trimmed and cut into chunks or sliced
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-3 cups chopped fresh parsley
-3 cups chopped leeks, or scallions or chives (tareh)
--1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek or a tablespoon dried fenugreek
-4-5 limoo amani (dried limes)
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Juice of a lime
-Vegetable oil/olive oil

Method

1. In a large pot, add the soaked beans and enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and cook until beans are tender. 
2. Heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped herbs and sauté for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the color darkens. Set aside.
3.  In a large stockpot, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and sauté the chopped onions until golden brown. Stir in the turmeric powder. 
4. Add the sauteed herbs, cooked beans, dried limes, salt, and pepper to the pot. Pour in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 50 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release most of their liquid. Remove from the pan, place in a bowl, and sprinkle with lime juice.
6. Add the mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a little more water if needed for consistency.

Serve hot with rice, mast o khiar, and salad shirazi.

Enjoy!

Ash-e Haft Daneh - Persian Seven Bean Hearty Soup - Mehregan Festival Recipe

Mehregan/Mehr is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating the start of the beautiful fall season. With its vibrant foliage, crisp days, and harvesting of crops, مهرگان (Mehregan) is traditionally celebrated a few days after the first day of fall (Autumnal Equinox) on the 10th day of  Mehr (the seventh month of the Iranian calendar). In the past, festivities would last for several days. Opinions about the exact date of Mehregan may differ since the historical records show that the date has been changed a few times throughout history. The wordمهر "Mehr" in Mehregan means 'sun, kindness, love, and friendship' in Persian. جشن مهرگان Jashn-e Mehregan is attributed to Mithra/Mehr, the goddess of the sun and brightness, and also the angelic divinity of friendship, justice, and oath, dating back to the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. One of the most valuable lessons of Prophet Zartosht (Zoroaster), that is still cherished today, is his teachings of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

Mithra Slaying the Bull, Metropolitan Museum of Art

It's also believed that Mehregan marks the triumph of Kaveh Ahangar, the blacksmith who fought the tyrant king Zahak and defeated him, saving the people from his brutal reign, which resulted in the crowning of Fereydun as king in the epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings), written by the great Persian poet Ferdowsi. Therefore, Mehregan is also considered a day when good destroys evil, a common thread in many old Iranian fables.

 Freydun defeats Zahak

Growing up, my family celebrated Nowruz (Persian New Year) and Yalda (the longest night) every year more grandly than the year before. However, I don't have any recollection of any Mehregan celebrations. I can't think of a particular reason why we didn't celebrate Mehregan at home, other than perhaps the timing of it being inconvenient for my parents. The first day of fall is the first day of school in Iran. My guess is that for my parents, having to deal with a bunch of kids and getting each of us ready for school must have been overwhelming enough around that time of year! And so when the dust was settled, Mehregan had come and gone. Now, more than ever, I'm passionate about paying a long overdue ode to this centuries-old Iranian festival for the purpose of introducing it to my children as well as others and preserving it for future generations. Plus, we can always use a little more mehr, light and good cheer in our lives. This festival also serves as a necessary reminder that, similar to how the struggles and efforts of Kaveh Ahangar came to fruition beautifully, we, too, can overcome our personal challenges and obstacles.

Food is an integral part of most celebrations, and Mehregan is no exception. On this date, fresh fruits such as grapes, pomegranate, apples, quince, figs, and persimmon were served along with an assortment of nuts, dried fruits, sweets, and rosewater. In my research for a Mehregan main dish, I came across the آش هفت غله - Ash-e Haft Daneh (seven bean soup) in a few written records of a typical Mehregan feast. And in my quest for preserving traditions, I decided to recreate this recipe, which was perhaps once served on our ancestral sofreh (spread).

I chose to call it a seven-bean soup, but this is more than just a soup, and it's more than just beans.
آش هفت دانه - Ash-e haft daneh is a combination of beans, seeds, whole wheat, and some vegetables. The main ingredients in the original recipe were listed as wheat, barley, rice, chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, and millet. There are many different variations of this traditional ash (stew/soup). You can make this soup with lamb shank or lamb/beef stock and add vegetables such as parsley, cilantro, chives/leeks, spinach, and dill. However, since this is a hearty and flavor-packed soup, I didn't think adding any kind of meat was necessary. Also, it is not loaded with vegetables like ash-e reshteh, and it does not have noodles either. I replaced millet and mung beans with two other kinds of beans and used tomatoes for added flavor.

Ash-e Haft Daneh

Ingredients

Serves 8

-1/2 cup chickpeas
-1/2 cup pinto beans
-1/2 cup white beans
-1/2 cup lentils
-1/2 cup pearl barley
-1/2 cup bulgur
-1/3 cup rice
-2 large tomatoes, grated
-1 bunch parsley, chopped
-1 bunch chives or scallions/leeks, chopped
-1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
-1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
-Juice of a lemon

For Topping:

Piaz Dagh:
-1 large onion, thinly sliced
-3 large garlic cloves, chopped
-1 tablespoon dried mint
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric
-Oil

-Liquid kashk (whey) or yogurt

Method:

1. Place the chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans, and barley in a large bowl, rinse, add a quart of water, and soak for six hours.
2. Drain and place in a large pot.
3. Rinse the rice, lentils, and bulgur and add to the pot.
4. Add water to cover by at least two inches, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cook for one hour over medium-low heat.
5. Add the grated tomatoes with their juices to the pot. 
6. Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions, saute for 20 minutes until golden, add the garlic and turmeric, and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the dried mint, saute for an additional minute or two. 
7. Add parsley, chives, and 1/2 of the sauteed onions to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook for another 45-50 minutes on low heat or until the beans are all very tender. Add lemon juice toward the end of cooking. Add more water if needed and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle ash into a serving bowl and top with kashk and fried onion. Serve hot with warm bread and yogurt.

A group of Iranian food bloggers have prepared delicious recipes to celebrate the ancient Persian Festival of Mehregan. Please check out the following links:

Mehregan 2014 Round Up:

Ahu Eats: Badoom Sookhte Torsh
All Kinds of Yum: Jeweled Carrot Salad
Bottom of the Pot: Broccoli Koo Koo
Cafe Leilee: Northern Iranian Pomegranate Garlic and Chicken Stew
Coco in the Kitchen: Zeytoon Parvardeh
Della Cucina Povera: Ghormeh Sabzi
Family Spice: Khoreshteh Kadoo | Butternut Squash Stew
Fig & Quince: Festive Persian Noodle Rice & Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Yummies 
for Mehregan
Honest and Tasty: Loobia Polo | Beef and Green Bean Rice
Lab Noon: Adas Polo Risotto
Lucid Food: Sambuseh
Marjan Kamali: Persian Ice Cream with Rosewater and Saffron
My Caldron: Anaar-Daneh Mosamma | Pomegranate Stew
My Persian Kitchen: Keshmesh Polow | Persian Raisin Rice
Noghlemey: Parsi Dal Rice Pie
Parisa's Kitchen: Morasa Polow | Jeweled Rice
Sabzi: Ash-e Mast, Yogurt Soup with Meatballs
The saffron Tales: Khoresht-e Gheimeh
Simi's Kitchen: Lita Turshisi | Torshi-e Liteh | Tangy aubergine pickle
Spice Spoon: Khoresht-e-bademjaan
The Unmanly Chef: Baghali Polow ba Mahicheh 
ZoZoBaking: Masghati

روز مهر  و ماه مهر و جشن فرخ مهرگان 

مهر بفزا ای نگارماه چهر مهربان 

مهربانی کن به جشن مهرگان و روز مهر

مهربانی کن به روز مهر و جشن مهرگان  

  

مسعود سعد سلمان ~

Happy Mehr & Happy Mehregan!

Khorak-e Loobia - Red Kidney Beans Side Dish (Repost)

This is a repost of the recipe I wrote back in 2008 when I was a brand-new food blogger. خوراک لوبیا Khorak-e loobia is a near and dear dish to my heart, not just because it's delicious and healthy, but because it brings back treasured memories of when life seemed so simple and all your troubles could be gone with your mother's encouraging words and warm hugs. I'm not sure how this post never got published correctly. The link to the original post doesn't go anywhere. There seems to be a disconnect between the link and the actual post, and the only way you can see it is by going through the archives of that year. I am not that computer savvy, and I don't know how to fix this problem. Since I didn't want to let this post disappear on my blog, I decided to post it again!

 My mother had a large, fish-shaped glass serving bowl with scale and fin patterns that she would use for serving these cooked beans. I am always on the lookout to find the exact replica of that fish bowl, but haven't found it yet. My mother's recipe called for using a generous amount of olive oil, extra ab-limoo (freshly squeezed lemon juice), and no tomato sauce. However, I added a little tomato paste to this recipe. I like the combination of red kidney beans and the tomato flavor. You can make khorak-e loobia with tomato paste/tomato sauce or even fresh tomatoes, or without it. Also, you can use red vinegar instead of lemon juice. Khorak-e loobia can be made with pinto beans as well.

Khorak-e Loobia - Red Kidney Beans Side Dish

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-2 cups red kidney or pinto beans
-2 large onions, finely chopped
-4 large cloves of garlic, minced
-3-4 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tablespoons tomato paste
-Juice of 2-3 lemons/limes (use more if you prefer)
-Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Pick over the beans, rinse thoroughly, and soak in water overnight.
2. Pour the soaking water out, rinse, and place the beans in a large pot. Add six cups of water, bring to a rapid boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and cook for 15 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. Drain the beans in a colander, then return them to the pot. Add enough water to cover by a couple of inches, cover, and cook over medium heat for an hour. 
4. In a skillet, saute the chopped onions in olive oil until golden brown.
5. Add garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Then add the tomato paste, salt, and pepper, saute for another 1-2 minutes, stir well.
7. Add a cup of warm water, simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
8. Pour the content - onion, garlic, and sauce mixture into the pot, stir.
9. Add lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning, cover and simmer for another 20-30 minutes.

Khorak-e loobia can be served warm or cold with warm bread, kotlet, and salad shirazi.

P.S.: I tweaked the recipe just a little bit and added new photos.

 

Enjoy!

Summertime Vegetable Salad with Pinto Beans - My Mother's Way

This chopped fresh vegetable salad with a scoop of delicious cooked loobia chiti (pinto beans) and a generous amount of lemon juice and olive oil dressing was my favorite summer lunch growing up in my home in the south of Iran. My mother's way of preparing salad was to chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, so we didn't need to use a knife to cut the lettuce and tomato wedges. Usually, when you think of Iranian vegetable salads, the well-known salad shirazi comes to mind, where Persian cucumbers, firm tomatoes, and yellow or red onions are chopped into tiny pieces and served with oil, lemon juice/verjuice, and dried mint dressing. However, this simple mix of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers is the other popular salad that is often served with most meals. You can just make a basic fresh salad or add (har chi doost darid) anything your heart desires, depending on the seasonal availability. Summer is the time for salad to shine as the main course by turning an ordinary salad into an extraordinary, delicious meal.

With six kids out of school for the summer and my father's preference for freshly cooked meals, making hearty salads was my mother's way of staying away from standing over a hot stove during those really hot summers. For many years, we lived in an old-style house where the kitchen was located across the hayat (courtyard) away and separate from the dining area, living room, and the rest of the house. The kitchen was small with a few cabinets/shelves filled with pots and pans, and with only one window and no air conditioning. It was in that dreary matbakh (kitchen) that anything Maman made tasted wonderfully delicious. Her pinto beans were exceptionally tasty. Her secret was using good olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice, and she would always serve the pinto beans in a large, clear glass fish-shaped platter. It was in that dark and remote kitchen in a small town in Khuzestan where the root of my inspiration and passion for my Turmeric and Saffron blog was formed.

I love to make سالاد تابستانی با لوبیا salad-e tabestani with beans and as many fresh and colorful vegetables as possible, and serve it in my eat-in kitchen, that's not just a place to cook food but rather the center of our home where we come together, talk, make decisions, eat food, greet friends, or just hang out.

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1 medium-sized head of iceberg lettuce or romaine, chopped
A handful of baby lettuces, chopped
3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into pieces (I used a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved)
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 medium-sized carrots, shredded
2-3 radishes, sliced
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
A small bunch of parsley, chopped

Method:

1. In a large salad bowl, toss all washed and chopped ingredients and gently mix well by hand. 
2. Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing.
3. You may sprinkle the salad with crumbled feta cheese.

***

Loobia Chiti (Pinto Beans)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with five cups of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. 

***

Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 freshly squeezed lime juices

1 teaspoon dried mint, or a combination of dried mint and dried dill
1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well using a whisk or a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

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!

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!

Shoorba-ye Yazdi (Lentil and Beet Soup with Tiny Dumplings)

What could be better on a cold winter day than a hot bowl of tasty, healthy, and sumptuous soup? This beautiful and nutritious soup is from the region of Yazd, Iran and is called شوربا - shoorba or Ash-e Shooli. "Shoor" means salty and "ba" generally refers to soups/stews. This shoorba is made by combining sauteed golden brown onions, brown lentils, small cubed beets, chopped young beet greens and fresh dill simmering gently over low heat until the lentils and beets are tender and soft. To make the shoorba tastier and to increase the thickness of the soup, small flour dumplings are added about thirty minutes before serving. This delightful recipe was given to me by my wonderful friend of many years, Sohaila khanoum, and I am very thankful and grateful to her for sharing her beloved mother's Yazdi shoorba recipe.

P.S. I would have written a post specifically for my 2nd blogging anniversary on December 4th had it not been a hectic month for me. However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you, my wonderful and super kind readers and Facebook fans, for your support and sweet comments for the past two years. It always means a lot to me! Here's to hoping that I'll be able to keep my blog running steadily and continue to share as many Iranian recipes for as long as I can! I guess I make that my New Year's resolution! Once again thanks to all my readers!!

Shoorba-ye Yazdi/Ash-e Shooli (Lentil and Beet Soup with Tiny Dumplings)

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1 cup lentils, rinsed
3 medium-sized beets, cubed
A small bunch of beet greens, chopped 
1 bunch fresh dill, washed and chopped

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth  or vegetable broth *optional
2 tablespoons vinegar or pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil

Dumplings:

1/2 cup flour
Pinch of salt
Water (lukewarm) as needed

You may substitute dumplings with small pasta shapes.

Method:

1. Combine the flour and salt, add water little by little, one tablespoon at a time, and mix well. Add more flour and water as needed until a soft dough forms. Make small size balls out of the flour dough. Set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a stockpot on medium heat. Saute onions until tender, add turmeric, stir.
3. Add 4-5 cups of water and a can of chicken broth, bring to a boil, add beets, add lentils, lower the heat, cover and cook for 50 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables and salt and pepper. Gently place the dumplings into the shoorba. Add more water if necessary. Cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar during the last ten minutes of simmering.

Serve the shoorba hot with warm lavash or pita bread.

Enjoy! Wish you all a very happy, healthy, prosperous and glorious New Year!
Love, Peace and Blessings!

Ash-e Miveh - Fresh Fruit Soup

The chickpea

A chickpea in a pot leaps from the flame

out of the boiling water,

crying, "Why do you set fire to me? You chose me, bought me, brought me home for this?"

The cook hits it with the spoon into the pot.

No! Boil nicely, don't jump away from the one who makes fire. 

I don't boil you out of hatred.

Through boiling, you may grow flavorful and nourishing, and be united with the vital human spirit.

I don't inflict suffering out of spite.

Once green and fresh, you drank rain in the garden;

You drank rain for the sake of this fire.

~ Poem by Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi

~ Translation by Colman Barks

 آش میوه Ash-e miveh is a hearty Iranian soup made with fresh, juicy summer fruits, tasty pinto beans, buttery chickpeas, and a little bit of spices. You will be pleasantly surprised by the textures and the delicate flavors of this flavorful soup. According to my sister-in-law, my mother used to make this soup frequently, and I've made this soup several times in the past few months. This is the version of fresh fruit soup that I like the best, and I'm pleased with the results. There's a second variation of this soup at the bottom of the page that you might also like.*

Fresh Fruit Soup (Ash Miveh)

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight or for at least 6-8 hours, drained
-1 cup pinto beans, soaked overnight
-2 peaches, peeled, cut into chunks
-2 plums, peeled, cut into chunks
-2 nectarines, cut into chunks
-3 apricots, cut into chunks
-1 bunch of parsley, chopped (1 cup packed)
-1 bunch of scallions, chopped (1 cup packed)
-1 medium onion, thinly sliced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
 -A pinch of red pepper flakes
-A dash of crushed cardamom
-1/3 teaspoon turmeric
-1 cup of thin soup noodles
-1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice

-Salt and pepper

-Olive oil

Method:

1. Place the soaked chickpeas and pintobeans into a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 50 minutes.
2. Add the chopped parsley and scallions to the pot and stir.
3. In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the sliced onions until golden. Add turmeric, stir, then mix in the minced garlic, cardamom, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the skillet mixture (onion, garlic, spices) to the pot and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Add noodles and more water if needed.
5. Add the fruits to the soup and simmer on the lowest heat setting for another 20-30 minutes, allowing the fruits to soften without losing their shape. 
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

Serve warm with bread.

*Variation: This is a wonderful and rather sweet version of the above recipe. This is more or less the same recipe as above, but the following changes were made.

1. In addition to the fruits and vegetables, I've also added a medium-sized beet (peeled and cut into small pieces) and a small sliced carrot. 
2. Instead of a cup of chickpeas, I used 1/2 a cup of chickpeas and 1/2 a cup of yellow split peas.
3. I didn't use any spices other than salt and pepper. 
4. No sauteed onion and garlic either.
5. For a sweeter taste, I added a tablespoon of honey. You may add a tablespoon of sugar.
6. This soup has a beautiful color as well as an interesting and delicious taste.

Enjoy!

Maash Polow - Rice with Mung Beans

ماش پلو Maash Polow (rice with mung beans) is a delightful summer dish, light, simple, and delicious. At the start of each summer, I like to go through my pantry and take stock of the grains, peas, and beans tucked away in jars, bags, and containers, deciding what should be used before the hot, humid months settle in. That's when I came across a forgotten jar of mung beans I had bought a couple of months earlier. Mung beans are wonderful in soups and salads, but they are especially delicious when cooked with rice, sautéed onions, and a generous pinch of turmeric, slowly over low heat.

I've used a slightly different method for cooking this rice. There's no need to pre-soak the rice, which makes the whole process easier and more flavorful. For Maash Polow, I like to use equal portions of rice and mung beans so the dish stays balanced and hearty. If you prefer a softer, more rice texture, you can add another 1/2 cup of rice to the pot. 

Maash Polow - Rice with Mung Beans

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-2 cups dried mung beans, picked over and washed
-2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
-1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced 
-1 teaspoon turmeric
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
-Oil or butter
-Salt

Method:

1. In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-low heat. Add a pinch of turmeric and mung beans, and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the beans are soft.
2. In a non-stick pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat 4 tablespoons of oil or butter. Add the chopped onions and saute until they turn golden. Stir in the turmeric and cumin. 
3. Add the cooked mung beans to the onions. Mix gently, and let them cook together for 5-7 minutes.
4. Pour in rice and add enough water to cover it by 2 inches. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then place a clean kitchen towel between the lid and the pot (to absorb the excess moisture). Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 45 minutes

Serve warm on a platter with plain yogurt or mast-o-khiar. Mung bean rice is delicious on its own, but even better paired with saffron chicken or tiny Persian-style meatballs.

Enjoy!

Koofteh Shevid Baghali - Persian Dill & Lima Beans Koofteh

کوفته شوید باقالی  koofteh shevid baghali is made with ground meat, rice, baby Lima beans and fresh dill, made into a ball with tasty fillings in the center for that additional burst of nutty and sweet flavor. This delicious one-dish meal is worth every bit of effort and time that goes into preparing it. To me, some meals are works of art that you can't help but marvel at and appreciate the ingenuity that brought about its creation. This koofteh happens to be one of them.

As I rinse the rice, pick apart the feathery dill tips, steam the beans and put the dinner together, I am filled with gratitude and a heartfelt appreciation that I get to make a dish that is as homey as it can get, share it with people that I deeply care about, later put my head down on a pillow in a safe place each night, and send my kids to school in the morning. Isn't this what we all want and every human being deserves? I wish every person a safe home, a loving family, good friends, food on the table, and good health.

Koofteh Shevid Baghali - Persian Dill & Lima Beans Koofteh

Ingredients:
Makes about 18 Koofteh

1 cup of rice, rinsed, there's no need to soak
1 pound ground lamb or beef 
1 pound baby Lima beans (fresh or frozen) if frozen, thawed
2 bunches dill, remove the hard stems and discard, wash and finely chop, makes about 2 cups (use less if you prefer)
3 medium-sized onions (grate one onion for the mixture and the other two need to be thinly sliced)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons flour (I used chickpea flour)
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
Oil for frying
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Fillings:

Raisins, chopped walnuts, barberries, fried onions

Method:

1. Place rice in a medium-size pan, add 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of salt, cook for 7-10 minutes on medium heat, drain. Set aside.
2. Cook the beans for 5-7 minutes or until soften on medium heat with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine rice, meat, lima beans, dill, eggs, flour, a grated onion, minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly yet gently.
4. Take about 1/3 of a cup of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the filling of your choice in the middle and close. Set aside.
5. heat 3 tablespoons oil in the meantime, in a wide heavy-bottomed pot, saute sliced onions over medium heat until transparent. Add 1/3 teaspoon turmeric, 3-4 cups of water, bring to a gentle boil, and place the koftas in the pot one by one. Add more water if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for an hour on medium to low heat. 
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

You can also bake this in a 350 degrees preheated oven for an hour. Serve warm with yogurt, salad, or pickles and warm lavash or pita bread. I posted my favorite recipe for Herbed Koofteh a while back, please check it out if you're interested.

Enjoy, peace and blessings!

Ash-e Jo - Barley Stew with Beans and Herbs

Barley is an ancient grain with an obscure origin. However, as old as barley is, it has never gotten to be a popular grain for cooking in our culture. Yet, despite its long history, it has never become a popular grain for cooking in our culture. In the land where wheat bread (taftoon, lavash, barbary, and sangag) has always been the staple, barley has never had a chance to compete for first place. Though nutritious, versatile, and economical, the only dishes I know that feature barley as a main ingredient are the soup-e jo ( barley soup) and the hearty ash-e jo (barley stew).

In the following Persian quatrains (do-bayti) by Baba Taher Oryan, the great Persian poet and mystic of the late 4th century, barley bread is described as the poor man's bread:

If I could ever get my hands on the universe

I'll ask, "What's with this?"  and "What's with that?"

You give one person a hundredfold of blessings,

To another, only a loaf of barley bread soaked in blood.

آش جو  - Ash-e jo is a hearty, thick soup made with barley, lentils, chickpeas, and beans (either white beans or small red kidney beans). The traditional vegetables are parsley, leeks, and cilantro, but I like to add fresh dill and spinach for extra flavor.. Some people prefer to include meat, but I find this soup far more delicious when kept vegetarian; it allows the grains, legumes, and herbs to truly shine. 

The recipe below makes enough for my family of four, with a little extra leftover to freeze for another day. If you prefer cooking for one or two people, simply cut the ingredients in half.

Ash-e Jo - Barley Stew with Beans and Herbs

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

-1 cup barley, soaked overnight  
-1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
-1/2 cup beans (white beans or red kidney beans) soaked overnight, I used white beans.
-1/2 cup lentils
-1 cup chopped parsley
-1 cup chopped leeks
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
-1/2 cup chopped spinach (optional)
-1/2 cup chopped dill (optional)
-Salt and pepper taste

Toppings

-1/2 cup liquid whey (kashk)
-1 large onion, peeled, thinly sliced
-2 tablespoons dried mint
-1/4 teaspoon turmeric
-Olive oil or vegetable oil

Method

1. In a large stew pot, combine the barley, chickpeas, beans, and lentils with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the chopped vegetables, salt, and pepper. Add more water if needed, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: in a small pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until golden brown. Add turmeric and stir well. Add dried mint, give it a quick stir, and remove from the heat. 

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with kashk, and top with the fried onion-mint mixture. Serve warm with fresh bread.

Enjoy!

Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Herb Stew

خورش قورمه سبزی Khoresh-e Ghormeh Sabzi is one of the most delicious and popular dishes among Iranians. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy this flavorful khoresh. A rich combination of fresh,  aromatic herbs, slow-cooked lamb, tender beans, and tangy dried lemons makes this khoresh both delicious and nutritious. My mother used to call it a "Sabzi Stew" because she would add an abundance of vegetables, including spinach and dill. This recipe is my simplified version. 

Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Herb Stew 

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-2 pounds lamb or beef, washed and cubed
- 1 cup red kidney beans or pinto beans, soaked overnight
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 bunches flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 large leeks or 4 scallions (green stems only)
- 1 small bunch fresh fenugreek, or 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek (shanbalileh), too much fenugreek will make the stew bitter
- 3-4 dried lemons (limoo amani), pierce each lemon a few times with a fork
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
-Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil

Method

1. Clean, wash, and dry the herbs. Finely chop the parsley, cilantro, leeks/scallions, and fenugreek. 
2. Heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped herbs and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
3. In a large stew pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chopped onions and saute until golden brown. 
4. Add cubed meat, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook until brown on all sides.
5. Add the soaked beans, sauteed herbs, and dried lemons. 
6. Pour in enough water to cover the mixture by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook on medium to low heat for 1 1/2 hours. 
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more water if needed. Lower the heat and let the stew gently simmer for another 30 minutes. Ghormeh sabzi tastes better when it simmers longer ( khoob ja miofteh) and is often more flavorful the next day. 

Serve hot with basmati rice, salad shirazi, and mast o khiar.

Enjoy!