Dolmeh y Kalam or stuffed cabbage leaves

I really love to eat dolmeh, any dolmeh and the great thing is, you can use almost any vegetable for dolmeh. Dolmeh y Kalam is a recipe I learnt from sister-in-law who is from the north west of Iran and so this recipe is probably a regional variation. You can substitute the cabbage leaves for aubergine, potatoe, peppers, onions and leave out the meat if you want  to make it vegetarian. There are specific differences in the herbs you use but this is the basic method and recipe for dolmeh in general.

This is not  a recipe for those who are new to Persian cooking as it’s quite fiddly and time consuming. All in all you probably need to set about 3 hours aside, at least an hour is needed for the preparation alone.

~~DOLMEH Y KALAM~~

Ingredients ~

• 1 large white cabbage
  
• 1/2 lb minced beef or lamb
• 1 large onion
• 1/4  cup split yellow peas
• 1 cup of basmati rice
  
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon of ground cummin
  
• a good handful of flat leaved parsley
• a good handful of tarragon
  
• a good handful of dill
  
• 1 teaspoon of salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
  

Preparation~

1. Core the cabbage and place in a large pan of boiling water. After a few minutes you will start to see the leaves of the cabbage falling away. Help ease them off being careful not to damage or tear the leaves or burn your self.
   
2. Allow the leaves to sit in the simmering water for about 5 mins or so until the stalky bit has began to soften.
3. When soft, remove from the water and put to one side to cool.
   
4. Cook the split yellow peas in 2 cups of salted water until soft. Drain and put to one side.
   
5. Cook the rice in salted water until soft to bite, drain and put to one side.

Method~

1. Chop the onion and cook in a tablespoon of oil, add the meat and brown off.
2. Add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir in. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, meat and split yellow peas and stir gently.
4. Add the cinnamon, cummin and salt and pepper and stir.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a heavy bottomed non stick pan ( one with a lid) and heat. Take a few of the cabbage leaves ( I usually use any that have been damaged or the really small ones as they are difficult to stuff) and place at the bottom of the pan. This prevents the dolmeh from burning.
6. Take a desert spoon of the meat and rice mixture and place at the stalky end of the cabbage leaf.  Gently begin to roll the leaf, being careful to tuck the sides  in as tightly as possible  so that none of the mix will escape during the cooking process. This is quite difficult at first and it will probably take you a few times to get the hang of it. Don’t try to put too much meat mix in the leaf or you will have difficulty in rolling it.
7. Arrange these in the pan layering them on top of each other.
8. Add 1 cup of water and two tablespoons of lime juice, a pinch of salt and cover with pan lid. Alternatively you can cook them in the oven at about 200 oc. Some people like to cook this is tomato juice and to add a little sugar.
9. Now leave to cook on a low heat for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, checking periodically and basting with the juices.
10. When cooked, gently remove from the pan and place on a serving dish.

Serve with salad, and natural yoghurt.

~Nooshi joonet ~

How to make Tahdig with sibzamini (potatoe)

Tahdig or taadig is the crusty bit at the bottom of the rice. There isn’t really a name for it in english AND it’s pretty unique to Persian cooking. It’s completely delicious and I guarantee everyone will want it. When my children were little they used to almost fight for the last piece of tahdig…. it’s that delicious.You can make Tahdig with a few different things but in this recipe Im going to explain how to make it using potatoes.Once made, you can either serve the Tahdig separately or use the crispy potatoes to add some decorative touch to your rice dish.

~~TAHDIG SIBZAMINI~~

~WHAT YOU WILL NEED~

• A heavy bottomed non stick saucepan with a lid.
• A padded lid … I wrap and secure a teatowel around the lid.

~INGREDIENTS~

• Rice
• A medium-sized potato thinly sliced
• Oil
• Butter
• Hot water
• Liquid saffron

~METHOD~

• Having boiled the rice in water until its soft to bite ( see how to make ‘perfect Persian Rice’) drain it and place to one side.
• Use a good non stick saucepan and add a little oil, a desert spoon of butter and melt.
• Add a few drops of liquid saffron and stir in or swirl it in the pan until its infused.
• Then add a little water, empty into a cup and put to one side.
• Returning to the saucepan, add about 2 tablespoons of good vegetable oil, sunflower oil is good and heat.
• Add a drop or two of liquid saffron.
• Turn up the heat to full and add the sliced potatoes and allow to sizzle a little for a few minutes.
• Then spoon the rice on top.
• Using a wooden spoon, just go around the edge, pushing the rice away from the side of the pan to avoid too much crisp rice… you only really want the bottom to become crispy.
• Pour on most of the oil, butter and water you put to one side earlier … you should see some steam rising now.
• Once you see some steam, cover with a padded lid ( I use a teatowel wrapped securely around the lid) this helps absorb any condensation and prevents it from dripping back onto the rice.
• Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave for about 3/4 of an hour to an hour. You might have to experiment a little as it depends on your heat settings.
• When your rice is ready, spoon the rice onto a dish until you reach the bottom of the pan. Then carefully remove the potatoes.

~Now you have ‘TAHDIG SIBZAMINI’ … WELL DONE!~

Nooshi joonet . Enjoy

Reshteh Polou or Persian Noodle Rice

This rice dish is traditionally eaten at norooz, the Persian new year but why not eat other times too because it’s too delicious not to! In this recipe I use gluten free noodles because I have coeliacs disease, an allergy to Gluten but if you can substitute them with wheat noodles.

~~RESHTEH POLOU OR PERSIAN NOODLE RICE~~

~Ingredients~

• Basmati rice 1 cup per serving
• 1 handful of reshteh per three servings For coeliacs use rice noodles or gluten-free spaghetti.
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 small onion

~Method~

Follow the recipe for making Persian rice to step 3 and then place to one side.

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and then pre soak for at least 2 hours in salted water.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a teaspoon or 2 of salt according to your taste and then add the rice.
3. Allow to bubble away until the rice becomes soft to bit. You should see the rice grains grow in length but dont allow them to become fluffy.
4. Now drain and rinse and place to one side to finish draining.
5. Meanwhile break the noodles into pieces. It doesn’t matter what size
6. Chop and gently fry the onion in the butter and oil and add the noodles until golden
7. Combine the rice and noodles in one pan as from step 4 and continue  through the rest of the instructions to step 14.
8. Some people like to add cinnamon and raisins which is delicious and you can sprinkle these on just before serving.

Shirin Polou or Jewelled Rice

I thought I’d  have a go and make something new for our family Easter meal and settled on ‘Shirin Polou’ as it looks so delicious in all the pictures I see . The other thinking behind this choice was that it’s full of fruit and nuts and somehow captures the taste of summer, which is a great thought and something to look forward to!

I once  had Shirin Polou back in Iran…. a long time ago but I’ve never made it myself. So it was a little bit of trial and error and learning as I went along. My only error was not to make enough liquid saffron but the recipe below should be fine. In the end it turned out well…. according to my resident expert!

~~SHIRIN POLOU OR JEWELLED RICE~~

~Ingredients~

• 1 cup of basmati rice per person + 1 extra
  
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of orange peel
• 1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
  
• 1 cup of sliced almonds and pistachio nuts
• 1 cup of barberries
  
• 3/4  teaspoon of ground saffron
  
• salt to taste
• 1 thinly sliced potato for the taadig
• 1 teaspoon of advieh
  
• 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee
  

~Preparation~

• Cut the peel from the orange and slice into small slithers
• Slice the carrots into thin small slithers
• Soak the barberries, rinse and drain
• Roughly chop the pistachio nuts into medium-sized pieces.
• Grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar in a pestle and mortar, add to 1 medium cup of boiling water, cover and leave to stand.

~Method~

1. Thoroughly rinse and then pre soak the rice for at least 2 hours
   
2. Boil up a large pan of water add a teaspoon or two of salt according to your own taste.
3. Add the rice and allow to simmer until the rice has grown and is soft to bite.
   
4. Drain and rinse and then put to one side.
   
5. Meanwhile, place the orange peel in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about a minute then drain. This is to remove the
   
6. Combine the orange peel, carrots, raisins, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 mins. Drain and put to one side.
   
7. In a large pan add 4 tablespoons of  vegetable oil and heat.
8. Add a few drops of saffron and if you want to make a good taadig, add some thin slices of potatoes.
   
9. Add a layer of rice, then a layer of the carrots, orange peel and raisins.
   
10. Continue to alternate the layers as above, ending with a rice layer.
    
11. Add a teaspoon of advieh, a tablespoon of ghee or butter, cover with a padded lid and cook on a low heat for about 50 mins.
    
12. 5 minutes before your ready to serve take the sliced almonds, pistachio nuts and barberries and cook in a pan over a low heat for a minute or two. Add the saffron liquid and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
13. Place half of the nuts, barberries and saffron onto the rice and gently begin to spoon onto your serving dish. When you reach the bottom of the pan, remove the taadig and place around the rice or serve separately.
    
14. Finally take the remaining nuts, barberries and saffron and place on top of the rice.
    

Serve with any poultry, chicken, turkey or duck and salad.

Shirin Polou is usually served at a celebration of some kind.

Nooshi joonet. Enjoy ….. we did!

Lubia Polou or Persian Rice with Green Beans

Lubia Polou is a complete meal in itself with the tangy taste of limes and the sweetness of cinnamon. Completely gluten-free and a great meal for kids. You can make it with lamb or minced lamb or beef, which ever you prefer but this recipe uses minced beef. Simply replace with the meat of your choice.

Lubia Polou is ideal for lunch or dinner and is a balanced ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ dish.  I wish I could capture the smell in my kitchen right now, package it up and sell it!

~~LUBIA POLOU~~

~Ingredients~

• 400 gr’s minced beef ( or small cubes of lamb or minced lamb)
  
• 4 Cups of basmati rice
• 1 large onion chopped
  
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 packet of fresh green beans ( you can used tinned or frozen ) cut into inch length
  
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of advieh
  
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ground lime powder or 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 1 small cup of liquid saffron
• A little vegetable oil

~To make the taadig~

• 4 good tablespoons of natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon of saffron liquid
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

~Method~

1. Thoroughly wash and re soak the rice in salted water for at least 2 hours beforehand.
2. Rinse and leave to drain.
3. Put a little oil in a fry pan and begin to brown the onion.
4. When becoming a little golden, add the mince and garlic, salt and pepper and continue to fry until brown.
5. Add the green beans, tomatoes, cinnamon, 3/4 spoon of advieh, lime powder and a cup of water. Mix well.
   
6. Bring to the boil, cover and turn down the heat. Allow to simmer for about 30 mins or until the green beans are soft. You may need to add a little more water depending upon your heat setting.
   
7. Meanwhile boil up a large pan of water and add 1-2 teaspoons of salt according to your taste.
   
8. When boiling, add the rice and leave to bubble away for a few minutes until the rice has expanded and is soft to bite.
   
9. Remove from the heat, drain and rinse in tepid water. Put the side to continue draining.
10. Now prepare to make the taadig and bring it all together ~  Your meat should be almost cooked. Your rice is standing by!
    
11. Take 4 tablespoons of yoghurt and add  1/2 teaspoon of liquid saffron and 3 tablespoons of rice. Mix well.
    
12. In a large pan, add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat.
13. Add the rice and yoghurt mix. It should sizzle a little.
14. Add a layer of rice,  then a layer of meat and finally another layer of rice.
15. Sprinkle the last of the advieh, a touch of cinnamon and either a little butter or ghee.
    
16. Cover with a padded lid ( a lid securely wrapped in a tea towel) this finishes the cooking process and prevents condensation from dripping back onto the rice.
17. About 1/2 hour before serving pour on remaining the liquid saffron, cover and leave to cook on a low heat for about 40 mins.
18. Spoon  the rice onto your serving dish, and serve the taadig on a separate dish.
    

Serve with a fresh salad, a dish of sabzi khordan and naan or flat bread like pitta.

~Nooshi Joonet~ Love life, eat well and cook Persian~

Sabzi Polou ba morgh or Persian dill rice with chicken

Another of our favorite rice dishes Sabzi polou is easy to make and served with chicken, fresh herbs and salad it makes a great nutritious and gluten-free meal.  We eat the traditional persian way with a sofreh, it’s like a  table-cloth on the floor, unless we have guests when we sit at the table. The children love it! It’s a bit like having a picnic indoors!

Taadig is the crusty rice bottom. I have used potatoes in this recipe but you could use flat or unleavened bread. We rarely do because I have Coeliacs Disease, an allergy to gluten found in wheat.

SABZI POLOU BA MORGH

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients for the rice:

• 4 cups of basmati rice
• 4 handfuls of dried dill
• 1-2 teaspoons of salt ( according to taste)
• vegetable oil
• 1 thinly sliced potato for the taadig
• 1/3 small cup or egg cup of liquid saffron

Method:

1. Pre soak the rice in salted water for at least 2 hours
   
2. Drain the rice and rinse well under running cold water and put to one side.
   
3. Take a large pan, add plenty of water and bring to the boil.
   
4. Add salt. If you like your rice a little salty add 1.5 – 2 teaspoons. Otherwise add 1 teaspoon.
   
5. I always add a few drops of liquid saffron to the boiling water also but this is optional.
   
6. When the water is boiling, add the rice and allow to boil.
   
7. Add 3- 4 handfuls of dill. I have a medium size hand!
8. The rice will swell and you should see them grow in length. Be careful not to let the rice become too soggy. You want the rice to be ‘al dente’ or soft to bite.
   
9. When ‘al dente’ remove from the heat and drain.
   
10. Lightly rinse the  rice again and put to the side.
    
11. Meanwhile place a non stick pan on the heat, add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and a few drops of saffron and mix.
    
12. Take the thinly sliced potato’s and add them to the bottom of the pan. They should sizzle a little. Be careful not to burn yourself.
    
13. Add the rice now
14. Take a spoon with holes in and lightly pour on about a tablespoon of oil
    
15. Cover with a lid wrapped in a clean tea towel and leave to cook for about 1.5 hours on the lowest heat setting you can. Please be careful and make sure the tea towel is secure to avoid risk of it catching alight.
    
16. When the cooking time is finished pour the rest of the liquid saffron over the rice. Then take your serving dish (usually a large flat dish or tray) and place over the top of the pan and quickly turn upside down and your rice will come out as in the picture above. Alternatively spoon it onto your serving dish and arrange your crispy potatoes around or over the rice or simply serve the taadig on a separate dish.

CHICKEN RECIPE

I have only made enough for two but just increase the amount of chicken you use if you are cooking for more

Ingredients:

• 3-4  Chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons of liquid saffron
• salt and pepper to taste
• Oil
• A knob of butter

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 200 c
2. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Fry until golden
5. Place some tin foil in an oven dish and add the chicken
6. Pour a few teaspoons of liquid saffron over the chicken and add a knob of butter to each chicken piece.
7. Wrap the foil around the chicken and cook in the oven for about 25 mins. This will vary according to the size of the chicken pieces you use.
8. Half way through cooking time, remove from the oven and pour the liquid over the chicken again to keep it moist.
9. Remove from the oven and pour the remaining liquid over the chicken before serving.

Serve with a salad, fresh herbs and mast or natural yoghurt.

Nooshi joonet. Enjoy

Tah-chin ba Morgh or Persian Rice and chicken

I love making these all in one pot meals. Once it’s in the pot  you have time to tidy up, prepare the table and if you’re lucky,  to relax with a pot of chai before you eat and Tah-chin ba morgh is the perfect meal for this.  Most of the work is in the preparation and once it’s all in the pot you are free to do other things.

You can make Tah-chin either on the cooker in pan or in a dish in the oven. I’m going to take you through the pan method but if you prefer, place your ingredients in a pre greased, large, deep oven proof dish and cook for about an 1 hour to an 90 minutes on 250 c for about 90 minutes – 2 hours.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of basmati rice.
• 1 large onion
• 350 gr’s Chicken boneless breast pieces
• 1 cup or approx 300 ml’s of mast or natural yoghurt
• 4 eggs
• 1 small cup od concentrated liquid zafaran
• Oil
• Butter
• Turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste.
• barberries ( optional)

Preparation:

• Skin and trim the chicken breasts or pieces and cut into medium  size pieces.
• Take a desert spoon  of lime juice , a pinch of salt, mix well and pour over the chicken and then keep in the fridge for a few hours before using.
• Beat the eggs yolks
• Combine the eggs yolks with the rest of the yogurt, add a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of concentrated zafaran liquid.
• Pre soak the rice a few hours before you intend to cook in salted water.
• About an hour before cooking, rinse your barberries, place in a drainer and put to one side.

Method:

1. Rinse the rice and put to one side
2. Boil up a large pan of water, add a teaspoon of salt, a drop or two of zafaran and a teaspoon of butter.
3. When boiling add the rice
4. Keep the rice boiling until it becomes soft to bite. The rice should become long but not fluffy.
5. Remove from the heat and drain.
6. Rinse the rice lightly. Put to one side.
7. Chop an onion and fry in a pan until it starts to go change colour.
8. Now take the chicken and add to the pan, add a pinch of salt and fry until golden.
9. Remove from the chicken from the pan and put to one side.
10. Take the barberries  now and place them in a frying pan and heat without oil or water. This will cook off any remaining water from their  rinse. You should see a little steam. When the steam is finished, add a little oil and fry gently, then add the zafaran and allow to bubble away for a  minute. Remove from the heat and put to one side.
11. Take a large pan with a lid.
12. Place a few tablespoons of oil in the pan and heat.
13. Add a few drops of the saffron liquid and mix it into the oil.
14. Now add the yoghurt mix you put aside earlier and put it in the pan with the oil.
15. Add a layer of rice and press down into the yoghurt
16. Add a layer of chicken and then another layer of both yoghurt and rice and continue until all the ingredients have been used.
17. After you add each layer, press down gently before you add the next.
18. Cook on a low heat for about 90 minutes to 2 hours. The longer you leave it the better the taa dig will be.

To turn it out for serving you can do this two ways:

1. Place your serving dish over the top of the pan and turn upside down. If it the rice gets stuck in the pan wait a few minutes and gently tap on the bottom of the pan. or
2. Remove the rice from the pan with a spoon onto your serving dish. Mixing in your barberries in the saffron as you go. Then remove the taadig separately when you come to it.

Baghali Polou or Broad Bean and Dill Rice

Baghali Polou or Broad bean and Dill Rice is an aromatic rice dish to be eaten along with fish, chicken or lamb shanks. This is one of my personal favourites. Easy to make and impressive for dinner parties.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of basmati rice (follow this link for instructions to step 8 )
• A bowl of shelled broad beans
• A good handful of dill  dried or fresh.

Method:

1. Follow the link above to step 8 but if you’re using dried dill add it at step 5
2. If you’re going to make this polou with taadig then slice the potatoes
3. Add some oil and butter to a large heavy bottomed pan and melt.
4. Add a teaspoon of the za’faran and stir into the butter and oil
5. Add the sliced potatoes, covering the pan
6. Begin to spoon in the rice. If you’re using fresh dill add it now, try to mix it evenly with the rice but be careful not to damage the grains.
7. Add a desert spoon or two of butter or ghee and cover with a lid. Wrap a tea towel around the lid, be careful to secure all parts of the tea towel  to avoid any risk if it catching alight.
8. Cook on a low heat for about an hour.
9. After about 3/4 of an hour add the broad beans, cover and leave for about 20 minutes.
10. Pour on the za’faran infusion and serve.

Nooshi joonet. Enjoy

Adas Polou or Persian Lentil Rice

There are so many varieties on this dish you can vary it to suit your own tastes. The basic ingredients are lentils, meat, dates and raisins  but you can add sliced almonds too and I often add orange peel which makes it a little bit more special. Completely gluten-free and very ‘moreish’. Full of protein, economical and delicious.

~~ADAS POLOU OR PERSIAN LENTIL RICE ~~

Serves 4-5

Ingredients~

• 3 cups of basmati rice
• 1 onion
• 400 gm’s minced meat or small pieces of lamb
• 3 0r 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of advieh
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup of brown lentils
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1/2 cup of chopped dates
• a handful of sliced almonds ( optional)
• the grated peel of one orange (optional but not usual)
• a small cup of liquid saffron
• a little oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation~

• Prepare the za’faran or liquid saffron
• If you use lamb rather than minced meat, cut the lamb into small pieces no bigger than your finger nail.
• wash the lentils and cook until soft
• chop the onion and crush the garlic
• remove the stones and chop the dates into small pieces
• If you are going to add orange peel, cook the slithered orange peel in a pan of water and sugar to make it sweet.
• thoroughly wash the rice and pre soak for at least 2 hours before cooking

Method~

1. In a large pan boil some water and add salt and a  drop of the liquid saffron
2. When boiling add the rice and cook until soft enough to bite.
3. Drain, rinse and put to one side.
4. Meanwhile gently fry the onion in a little oil until it becomes transparent
5. Add the meat and crushed garlic and brown
6. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of the advieh
7. Cook the lentils in some salted water for 10 minutes, then in a frying pan add the raisins, dates and orange peel in a little oil and put to one side.
8. Pour some oil into a large  heavy bottomed pan and heat
9. Add the first layer of rice
10. Now add a layer of the meat mix and continue adding layers. You should begin and end with a layer of rice. I usually make 3 rice layers in total.
11. Pour on the saffron or za’farn infusion.
12. Add a spoon of butter or ghee.
13. Cover the lid of the pan with a tea towel to prevent any steam from dripping back on to the rice and making it wet.
14. Cook on a low heat for between 60 – 90 mins.

Serve with a dish of mixed herbs or sabzi khordan, or a mixed salad, mast or natural yoghurt and naan.

Nooshi joonet . Enjoy

Kalam Polou

Kalam Polou or cabbage rice is another family favourite in my house. It’s economical to make, nutritious and a great way to use what is  usually a fairly unexciting vegetable. Plus kids love it … which is always a bonus and a testimony in itself!

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups or 400 gr’s  of rice
• 400 gr’s of minced beef or lamb
• 1 medium cabbage diced
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 good tablespoon of tomatoe paste
• a good pinch of ground za’faran
• 1-2 tablespoon of lime juice
• salt and pepper  to taste
• a little oil

Preparation:

• Thoroughly wash the rice and soak in salted water for about 2 hours before needed.
• Chop the onion
• Remove a few leaves from the cabbage, enough to line the bottom of the pan you will cook the rice in and put aside.  Chop  the rest of the cabbage but remove the hard stalky pieces,  rinse and put aside
• prepare a little cup of za’faran infusion

Method:

1. Par boil the rice in the method described here to stage 8 and put to one side
2. Fry the chopped onions in a little oil until transparent
3. Add the ground meat and fry until brown
4. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until the ingredients are golden
5. Add the turmeric, tomatoe paste, lime juice, a small cup of boiling water  and most of the za’faran infusion leaving a few drops aside. Mix in well and allow to bubble away while you cook the cabbage.
6. In a separate pan, fry the cabbage in a little oil on a medium heat for about 5-10 mins until soft
7. Add to the meat and onions and mix in well.
8. Add another small cup of water and allow to cook until it has reduced.
9. In a large deep  heavy bottomed, non stick pan with a lid, heat some oil.
10. Add a few drops of the za’faran and mix, remove from the heat and  line the pan with  the cabbage leaves you put to one side earlier
11. Now add layers of rice and meat mixture starting and finishing with a layer of rice
12. Using the back of a  wooden spoon, ease the rice away from the sides of the pan using the end of the spoon make a few holes in the rice.
13. Add a desert spoon of butter or ghee to the top of the rice
14. Place a covered lid on the pan and cook on a low heat for about an 90 mins. This will form a smashing taadig.

Serve with sabzi khordan or mixed green herbs, salad, mast or natural yoghurt and naan.

Nooshi joonet . Enjoy

Perfect Persian Rice

You can cook rice in a number of ways. The two most favored methods are boiling and then par boiling and steaming which is what we usually do when we are cooking rice the Persian way. It’s a little more labour intensive but I think the results are much better: the grains are separate and elongate during the cooking process to produce an end result you will be proud to serve to your family and guests.

However you have to use the right rice….. please don’t expect a good result from just any old ‘uncles’ rice. It has to be basmati rice and even then there are different grades of basmati rice so choose a high-grade and you won’t go wrong. In the UK ‘Tilda’ rice is available from all supermarkets and this would be my rice of choice.

Next it’s really essential to rinse and pre soak the rice. Place 1cup of rice per person (and I always do one extra)  in a bowl of water and swish it round gently and you might be surprised at just how murky the water becomes. This is rice dust and it will make your rice sticky and unpleasant so, AND even worse it’s starchy and therefore calorie laden… so keep rinsing the rice until the water becomes clear. Then soak it in salted water for at least two hours before you begin the cooking process. The salt helps the rice to preserve its shape and adds flavour. After two hours, you might be amazed at how much the rice has swollen.

These are grains of basmati rice before soaking and cooking

The same rice grains after boiling.

Note the difference in size and colour

~~PERFECT PERSIAN RICE~~

Please note:  before you begin please read my notes on ‘ What you need to know about rice’

~Equipment you will need~

• A large heavy bottomed non stick pan with a lid.
• A large mesh sieve
• A tea towel to wrap around the lid. Please be sure you secure it safely to avoid any risk of it catching fire.

~Preparation~

• Prepare an infusion of saffron ( za’faran) as described in ‘Saffron and what to do with it’
• If you want  a good ‘ Tadig’ ( the  crispy rice crust) prepare the potatoes or naan now. Cut potatoes into thin slices. You can substitute potatoes with naan ( flat bread) or white cabbage leaves and I have even done it with iceberg lettuce leaves.

~Method~

Use 1 cup of rice per person

1. Thoroughly wash the rice until the water runs clear
2. Soak the rice in cold, salted water for at least 2 hours before beginning to cook
3. Boil up a large pan ofwater and when boiling  add a teaspoon of salt, a drop of saffron and a 1/3rd  teaspoon of butter
4. Drain the rice and add it carefully to the boiling water. The water temperature will drop so allow it to comes to the boil again. Stay with it now and stir occasionally but be careful not to damage the grains.
5. You will start to see the rice begin to expand in length. Continue to boil until the grains become ‘al dente’. Be careful they don’t become fluffy.
6. When ‘al dente’ , drain in a mesh sieve.
7. Rinse  to remove any unwanted starch and put to one side and allow it continue to drain.
8. For ‘Taadig’, melt a desert spoon of butter or ghee in the pan you intend to cook the rice in.
9. Add a tablespoon of oil, and 1/3rd of a cup of boiling water. Stir.
10. Pour most of this into a cup for later use and add another tablespoon of oil into the pan.
11. Place your potatoes,  naan or cabbage in the bottom of the pan and then gently place the rice on top
12. Add 1/2 of the liquid butter, oil and water mix and wait until you see some steam.
13. Cover with the lid and steam on a low heat for an hour to an hour and a half adding more of the liquid mix as needed. You want to prevent the rice from becoming too dry and to allow the taadig to form a crispy crust. Dont however add any more of this in the last 20 minutes of the cooking process.

~Before serving~

 

• Remove a few spoons of rice into a bowl and add the infusion of za’faran. mix gently.
• Gently spoon the rest of the rice on to your serving dish and add the za’faran rice and gently mix in.
• Finally if you used potatoes for the taadig you can place these on your dish too. If you have any other taadig then use a separate dish to serve it in.

~NOOSHI JOONET. ENJOY ~

Estamboli Polou

Estamboli Polou is a versatile all time fav in our family. For lunch or dinner its always  a hit, especially with children. There are many variations so you can vary the ingredients to suit your own taste, use up left overs or create your own unique combination.  Some cooks use minced meat or lamb but by leaving meat out, you have a perfect vegetarian meal  too.  In the recipe below I have added chilli to spice it up a little. The method remains the same whatever ingredients you use.  You can’t go wrong.

This recipe serves 4-5 servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of basmati rice thoroughly washed
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 large potatoe diced
• A handful of green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 beefsteak tomatoe or a few smaller tomatoes chopped, alternatively you can use a tin of tomatoes
• 1 green chilli chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 tablespoons of tomatoe purée
• 1 garlic clove ( optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of saffron infused water
• Boiling water
• a little vegetable or olive oil
• a desert spoon of butter.

Preparation:

• thoroughly wash the rice until the water runs clear. No need to pre soak
• clean and chop all your ingredients.
• Prepare your saffron infusion
• fill up the  kettle and put it on so that you have hot water available when you need it.
• you will need one large pan with a lid

Method:

1. Gently fry the chopped onions and potatoes in a little oil until they begin to turn golden
2. add the turmeric and stir up
3. add the chopped tomatoes, green beans, chilli and garlic, stir up and allow to cook for a few minutes
4. add the tomatoe purée and stir
5. add the saffron infused water and stir
6. add some salt.  I recommend a teaspoon but if you like your food saltier go ahead and add more.
7. Give it all a good stir and allow to bubble away for a few minutes.
8. Finally add the water. This is the tricky bit. You’re aiming for a slightly sticky end result but not too sticky so begin by adding 3/4 pint of hot water and topping it up as needed. Keep your eye on it now and monitor the amount of water the rice has to cook in. The rice needs to expand in length without becoming sticky so use your instinct and add more water as needed.
9. when the rice has begun to expand add a desert spoon of butter or ghee and place a covered lid on the pan.
10. cook on a low heat for about 1 hour. You can check it from time to time and add a little more butter or ghee as you like.

Serving suggestion:   salad, shirazi salad, kebabs, natural yoghurt, herbs and bread. Or enjoy it just as it is