Persian Cooking-Najmieh Batmanglij-Food of Iran

Garnish
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried mint
1 dried rosebud and 2 tablespoons petals

Yogurt & Cucumber Dip or Soup
(Mast-o khiar)

Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 1 hours' refrigeration

1 long seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 cup raisins, washed and drained
3 cups whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons chopped shelled walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

In a serving bowl, combine cucumber, raisins, yogurt, sour cream (if desired), scallions, mint, dill, garlic, and chopped walnuts. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Garnish with 1/2teaspoon mint, rosebud, and petals. Serve with bread as an appetizer.

Note: For fewer calories and less fat, you may use low-fat yogurt in place of whole-milk yogurt and eliminate the sour cream.

Variation: This may be transformed into a refreshing cold soup by adding 1 cup of cold water (or more to taste) and 2 or 3 ice cubes to the mixture.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's New Food of Life, page 29.

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 10 minutes, until translucent.

Add the coriander and stir-fry 3 minutes longer, then add the tomato and stir-fry 5 more minutes.

Add the fenugreek, basil, curry powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and tamarind liquid. Mix well, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning and set aside.

Just prior to serving, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir-fry the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, just until it changes color. Be careful not to overcook-shrimp loses its tenderness when overcooked. Add to the sauce.

Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with saffron steamed rice (chelow)

Variation: Replace the shrimp with scallops, mackerel or grouper fillets.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's A Taste of Persia, page 67.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 25 min.
Cooking time: 40 min.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter, or ghee*
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 cups chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 large tomatoes, peeled* and crushed

1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek or 3 tablespoons dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2/3 cup tamarind paste* diluted in 1/2 cup water
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry

Herb & Tamarind Shrimp
(Ghalieh Maygu)

Sweet & Sour Stuffed Chicken
(Morgh-e tu por-e torsh-o-shirin)

Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 min.
Cooking time: 1 hour 50 min.

2 Cornish game hens or 2 small frying chickens with skin removed
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup pitted and finely chopped prunes

1 apple, cored and chopped
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup orange juice

Clean and rinse the hens or chickens in cold water, then pat dry and rub with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and brown onion and garlic. Add prunes, apple, apricots, raisins, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, cinnamon, saffron water, and sugar. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stuff the hens or chickens with the fruit mixture and truss the cavities shut.

Place the stuffed birds in a greased ovenproof dish or roasting pan and pour in the orange juice. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, basting with pan juices, until the meat separates easily from bone.

Serve from the ovenproof dish or arrange the birds on a serving platter. Serve with chelow (Saffron Steamed Plain Basmati Rice), bread, salad and fresh herbs.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's Persian Cooking For A Healthy Kitchen, page 65

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Variation:

Lay two large, boneless chicken breast halves flat, skin down, and using the flat of a large knife, press down to flatten as much as possible. Place half the fruit mixture on each breast, roll up, and pin closed with bamboo skewers. Place side by side in a greased baking pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, paint each breast with 1 tablespoon butter, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, cut each breast diagonally in 2-inch pieces and serve with bread, raw vegetables, fresh herbs, and salad.

Georgian Rice Salad with Eggplant & Tart Cherries

Note:
If you do not use Chinese eggplants, you will need 2 large eggplants peeled, seeded and bitterness removed.*

Servings: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes.

2 cups basmati rice
4 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, butter, or ghee
3 teaspoons salt
4 Chinese eggplants, about 2 pounds
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground paprika

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted, dried tart cherries* salad dressing
1/2 cup sour cherry syrup*
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 cup chopped fresh scallions bed of greens
4 cups shredded greens, arugula or romaine lettuce garnish
1/2 cup chopped, pistachios or toasted walnuts

Known in Greek mythology as Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece, Georgia lies along the eastern shore of the Black Sea. The land, the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains and a broad central plai's influenced by varied climates and offers myriad produce, from the vineyards of the dry interior to the tea and lemon plantations of the subtropical coast. Georgia's position between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea made it an important part of the Silk Road routes; this and its rich land also drew the attention of a number of conquerors, including Arabs, Mongols, Turks, and Persians, during its long history. Georgian cuisine often combines walnuts (for its nutty taste) with fruit (to counteract the oiliness of the nuts). I have adapted this wonderful rice salad from a Georgian pilaf.

1. Pick over and wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with lukewarm water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat five times until the rice is completely clean.

2. Combine the rice with 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon oil and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Gently stir once with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Wash the eggplants, dice into 1/2-inch cubes and thoroughly blot dry.

4. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, cayenne, cumin, paprika and remaining salt. Add the eggplant cubes and mix well so that the spices adhere to the raw eggplants.

5. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat until very hot and fry the eggplant cubes for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook over low heat for another 15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

6. Combine the eggplant, cooked warm rice and tart cherries in a salad bowl and set aside.

7. To make the dressing, thoroughly mix all the salad dressing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Pour over the salad, toss well, serve on a bed of greens and garnish with pistachios or walnuts.

Recipe from Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey, page 72

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Noodle Soup
(Ash-E Reshteh)

Garnish
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic , crushed, peeled, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ cup dried mint flakes, crushed

Servings: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

¼ cup dried dried chickpeas , picked over
½ cup dried kidney beans , picked over
1 cup washed fresh dill , chopped
1 cup washed fresh parsley , coarsely chopped
4 pounds fresh baby spinach; or 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large onions , peeled and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

1 teaspoon black pepper , freshly ground
1 teaspoon turmeric
12 cups chicken broth or water
½ cup lentils
½ pound dried Persian or linguine noodles
½ cup fresh scallions , washed and coarsely chopped
1 cup sun dried yogurt (kashk)
2 teaspoons Coarse salt

1 - Before you start

• Gather all the ingredients and tools. Ask for adult help, especially for cutting and chopping vegetables and herbs, and using the stove top.

• In a large shallow bowl, soak the chickpeas and kidney beans in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

• In a large bowl of cold water, soak dill, parsley, and spinach for 15 minutes. Drain and repeat three times (herbs have lots of grit and sand that must be thoroughly washed out). Drain and allow to dry completely. Set aside.

2 - Cooking the soup

• Place a large pot on a stove turned to medium heat. Add the oil and heat it. Add the onions and, using a long-handled spoon and an oven mitt, stir-fry for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric, chickpeas, and kidney beans, and stir-fry for another minute.

• Pour in 12 cups of broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes over medium heat.

• Add the lentils. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Taste the beans to be sure they
are cooked.

• Add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the sun-dried yogurt (kashk) and stir for 5 minutes using a long-handled silicone spoon.

• Add the dill, parsley, spinach, and scallions, and continue to cook, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes.

• If the soup is too thick, add some of the remaining stock or warm water and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

3 - Making the garnish (na’na daq)

• To make the garnish, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute or until golden brown. Add the turmeric and stir for 20 seconds. Remove from heat, add the mint, and stir well. Set aside.

• Just before serving the soup, taste the soup and adjust seasoning to your taste. Add more salt or sun-dried yogurt (kashk) if needed.

• Pour the soup into individual bowls and place 1 teaspoon of the garnish in the center of
each bowl.K

Recipe from Happy Nowruz: Cooking With Children To Celebrate The Persian New Year