Quick & Easy Shirini Zaban - Zaban Puff Pastry (Nowruz 1395)

The air is thick with excitement in anticipation of نوروز - Nowruz. Preparation for Persian New Year starts weeks before the spring equinox with khaneh tekany (spring cleaning) and growing sabzeh (seeds) for the haft seen table. It has been many years since I have lived in my home country. Yet all it takes is a smell or a taste to bring even those long-forgotten memories back into my mind's eyes. The Persian New Year celebration gives me a chance to relive those many memories of family, togetherness, the haft seen spread, and celebrations.

It's time to start thinking about the Nowruz dinner menu. The Nowruz dinner is marked by a number of traditional dishes that are known for this occasion such as kookoo sabzi, sabzi polow, mahi, ash reshteh, reshteh polow, etc. I have put together a typical Nowruz menu of my favorite recipes.

There are many different Nowruz sweets available in bakeries all over Iran. However, if you happen to live where you do not have access to any of those good Iranian bakeries then, like me, you would have to make your own homemade Nowruz desserts. The sugar sprinkled, golden, light and flaky شیرینی زبان shirini zaban (زبان - zaban means tongue in Persian) is a connection to my childhood -- when I remember having them for special occasions. For this recipe, you'll need one sheet of puff pastry. If you have the time and patience you can make your own homemade puff pastry from scratch. However, if you find that to be too time-consuming then head to the freezer section of your local grocery store and buy a package of frozen puff pastry. While there's nothing like a homemade pastry, I took the easy route this time and used a store-bought frozen puff pastry.

Shirini Zaban with Frozen Puff Pastry 

Ingredients:
Yield: 20 pieces

1 (14-ounce) box of frozen puff pastry, thawed  (I used Dufour puff pastry)
1-2 tablespoons sugar

For the syrup

1/3 cup honey ( I used clover honey)
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon rosewater

Flour for dusting the surface
Crushed pistachios and  powdered sugar for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine the honey with water and rosewater, mix well. Set aside.
4. Unfold the puff pastry on your lightly floured counter and dust the top of the pastry with a little flour. 
5. Using a soft pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry with honey syrup.
6. Using a cookie cutter cut out the pastry into zaban shape or using a sharp blade cut the pastry into rectangular pieces.
7. Place the cut-out puff pastries on the baking sheet leaving a little space between them.
8. Using a knife make a lengthwise light cut through the center of each zaban.
9. Sprinkle each zaban generously with sugar.
10. Place the sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden, cooked through and puffed.
11. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
12. Apply another light film of honey syrup over the pastries. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Serve with freshly brewed hot tea.

Enjoy! Happy Nowruz!

Yakh dar Behesht - Ice in Paradise

The other day I sat down under the pear tree in the back of our garden to take a brief break from the intense summer heat and to also enjoy the refreshing sweet creamy taste of یخ دربهشت  - Yakh dar Behesht. Ice in Paradise is rice flour and milk dessert recipe infused with cardamom and rosewater and topped with pistachios. This dessert's intriguing name is a combination of the term "yakh " meaning "ice," "dar" meaning "in," and "behesht" meaning "paradise." According to the online Encyclopedia Iranica entry on Garden "From the time of the Achaemenid empire, the idea of an earthly paradise spread to the literature and languages of other cultures. The Avestan word pairidaeza-, Old Persian *paridida-, Median *paridaiza- (walled-around, i.e., a walled garden), was transliterated into Greek paradeisoi, then rendered into the Latin paradisus, and from there entered into European languages, i.e., French paradis and English paradise." An ancient earthly Persian Paradise consisted of a majestic castle surrounded by lush pastures, magnificent Cypress trees, a large shimmering reflecting pool covered with water lilies, and streams gently flowing through the pomegranate trees and fragrant rose bushes.

I cannot tell you much about the origin of the name of this dish -- perhaps it was given its name by a king or a queen, or a chef with a poetic mind, or even a dinner guest with a knack for exotic names. The word pardis/paradise means different things to different people. It may remind some of us of heaven above or perhaps earthly Persian-style paradise gardens. To me, paradise is a state of mind.  It is those precious moments spent with loved ones. It's when you feel safe, at peace with yourself and your surroundings. It's those heavenly moments when you sit back, relax, and can calm the mind and the inner frenzy and treat yourself to this delicious summertime treat somewhere under the small shade of a fruit tree.

Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter, ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vows a hundred times.
Come, yet again, come, come.

~ مولوی - Rumi

Whoever comes to this place feed them and don't ask about their faith

~ خاقانی - Khaghani

Isfahanis have a special way with desserts and food in general and I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Shahnaz who lives in Isfahan. According to her Yakh dar Behesht is one of the most popular desserts there.

I changed the recipe a little bit by cutting the required amount of ingredients in half. You may adjust the sugar to your liking.

Yakh dar Behesht -Ice In Paradise

Ingredients:
Serves 6-8

1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup wheat starch or cornstarch
4 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cup sugar or to taste
1/4 cup rosewater
1 teaspoon ground cardamom


Garnish:

Crushed pistachios
Shredded coconuts
Slivered almonds
Dried rose petals

Method:

1. In a small mixing bowl dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup of cool water.
2. Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stir in rice flour and start stirring.
3.  Add cornstarch and cardamom, whisk constantly until thickened to a pudding-like consistency.
4. Add sugar while whisking continuously until the sugar is fully dissolved. Reduce the heat, add rosewater, stir and simmer on low heat for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and pour into a large shallow glass dish and sprinkle crushed pistachios or shredded coconuts on top. Or generously sprinkle crushed pistachios onto the bottom of the silicon molds, pour the mixture into the molds, smooth the surface, and level it out. The third option is to simply pour the mixture into individual serving bowls. 
6. Allow to cool at room temperature, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or until cool and set. 

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Sharbat-e limoo - Lemon/Lime Sharbat

Sharbat-e limoo is a refreshing sweet and sour drink that is just perfect for hot summer days. This tangy yet sweet sharbat is one of the popular drinks served to guests in Iran. Persian sharbat are drinks made with fresh-squeezed fruit juice and sugar. A sharbat should be well-balanced and not too sweet or too sour. However, in our home, we like our شربت لیمو - sharbat-e limoo more on the tangy side.

The combination of lemon/lime juice and water has many health benefits and this refreshing lemonade/limeade is a perfect summer drink. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.

Sharbat-e Limoo - Persian Limeade

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice or lemon juice  
1/2 cup sugar or honey 
3 cups water
1 cup ice
1 teaspoon lime/lemon zest *optional
2-3 drops of rosewater *optional

Method:

1. Place sugar and water in a small pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix all ingredients, taste and adjust the level of sweetness to your liking, chill and serve.

Enjoy!

Shirini Nargili - Coconut Macaroons

This is a delicious treat for every occasion. Coconut macaroons are very tasty, so there isn't much you need to do to make it taste any better. The combination of shredded coconut, sugar and rosewater makes these soft, chewy, and aromatic cookies just perfect! However, just to give it a different flavor and aroma, you may add a hint of my favorite spice saffron, and a squeeze of lime. 

Shirini Nargili - Coconut Macaroons

Yield: 18-20

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon rosewater 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy.
3. Gradually add the sugar, continue beating on high until stiff peaks form.
4. Add the shredded coconut and rosewater, mix until well combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. Using a small cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough onto the lined cookie sheet spacing 1 inch apart.
7. Bake on the center rack for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.  
8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  

Place on a serving platter or store in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

Halva

My mother used to make large trays of delicious halva. حلوا - This traditional Persian sweet is prepared with wheat flour, butter, sugar, and rosewater. In Iran, halva is often made for religious holidays and is customarily served after funeral services. I, however, believe that you don't need a special occasion to enjoy it. Rich and comforting, halva can also be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer. 

Persian Halva

Ingredients

For The Syrup

-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 1/2 cups water
-1/4 cup rosewater
-1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
-1/4  teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water

For The Halva

-2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
-1 cup vegetable oil or unsalted butter 

For Garnish

-Slivered almonds
-Chopped pistachios
-Shredded coconuts

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then add cardamom, saffron, and rosewater. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Place a heavy-bottom pan and dry-toast the flour over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Stirring frequently.
3. Add the oil or butter to the flour. Stir continuously over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture develops a nutty aroma.   
4. Gradually pour the warm syrup into the flour mixture while stirring constantly, until fully absorbed and the halva thickens into a smooth paste. 
5. Transfer the halva to a serving platter. Flatten and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Garnish with slivered almonds, chopped pistachios, and shredded coconuts. 

Enjoy!