Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoe Soup

PUMPKIN AND SWEET POTATOE SOUP

There’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of soup on these cold wintery days. Pumpkins are seasonal so we have to make good use of them while we can!! Today I wanted to experiment a little and thought I spice up my usual pumpkin soup recipe and persianise it! So here it is. It’s very easy to make. There are no hard and fast rules about ingredients or measurements of, it’s very relaxed and delicious. Hope you enjoy.

~ INGREDIENTS ~

• 1/2  pumpkin seeded and cubed.
• 1  Large onion diced
• 2 Sweet potatoes peeled and chopped.
• 3-4  Garlic cloves diced.
• 1 Red pepper seeded.
• 1/2 cup of liquid saffron.
• 1/2 stock ( I used chicken stock but what ever you have is good)
• salt and pepper to taste.
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of advieh
• 1 dried lime.

~METHOD~

1.  Place the oven on about 200 degrees. Brush the peppers with a little olive oil and bake until the skin begins to blacken. Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a plastic bag. Put aside to cool.
2. Using a little oil, fry the onions and garlic until it begins to turn golden.
3.  Add the cubed pumpkin and sweet potatoe, salt, pepper, turmeric, the saffron, chicken stock and the dried lime. If you haven’t got dried limes, use lime juice or powdered lime.
4.  Pour enough hot water on to cover the vegetables and leave to simmer until the veg is soft, usually around 20 mins.
5.  Go back to your peppers and peel the skin off.
6.  If you want smooth soup, blend everything together. If you like your soup lumpy just chop the red pepper flesh as small as possible and add.

Hey presto ….. a delicious sweet and sour soup, warming and thoroughly nutritious. Garnish with chopped corriander. Just what you need on a damp winters day. Eat now, serve for supper or take it for lunch the next day. BTW it freezes well too.

~Nooshi joonet ~

Khoresht e Gheimeh Bademjan or Aubergine Stew

Everyone loves this dish. It’s something you’ll enjoy eating for lunch, dinner or any time in fact!  Very like  Khoresht e bademjan except in this recipe you use lamb rather than chicken.

This is one of those recipes you can make in stages which was perfect for me yesterday as I had my 2 yrs old grand-daughter visiting for the day. Having tucked away a good helping of Lubia polou for lunch her  nose was twitching at the smells coming from the kitchen! I had already cooked the meat earlier and only needed to add the split yellow peas and budemjan which was useful as 2 yr olds haven’t got much patience! She then proceeded to tuck into 2 good helpings of Khoresht e Gheimeh Budemjan and I think if her mother hadn’t arrived, she would have demolished the lot!

~~KHORESHT E GHEIMEH BADEMJAN~~

~Ingredients~

• 400 gr’s of lamb cut in small cubes
• 1 large onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 2 medium-sized budemjan or aubergine ( eggplant)
• 1 cup of split yellow peas
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of advieh
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground saffron to make 1 small cup of liquid saffron.
• dried limes ( limu amani)
• 1 cup of tomato paste
• A little oil
• salt and pepper to taste

~Preparation~

• Pierce the limu amani with the tip of a knife before you add to them to the khoresht as it helps the the flavor of the limu to infuse into the khoresht
• Wash, peel, quarter and then slice the bademjan ( aubergine). Spread onto a large flat plate and sprinkle with salt. Turn and sprinkle with salt again. Leave for 30 mins and then rinse. Pat them dry before frying. This helps to remove the bitter taste.

~Method~

1. Chop the onion and gently fry in a little oil until it begins to turn golden
2. Add the meat, garlic, salt and pepper and the turmeric, stir well and continue to cook until the meat is brown
3. Cover with water, add the lime juice, tomato paste, saffron  and advieh and simmer gently over a low heat  for about an hour and a half or  until the meat is tender. You may need to add a little more water.
4. Meanwhile boil a pan of water, add the split yellow peas and cook for 20 mins. Add the split yellow peas and stir in.
5. Take a fry ing pan, heat some oil and when hot place the sliced aubergines in the oil and cook until golden. Dont forget to turn them.
6. About 15  mins before you are ready to serve add the aubergine but avoid stirring incase you break up them up. just allow them to sit on the surface of the khoresht and absorb the flavours.

• This dish is always better served the next day!

~Serve with saffron rice, salad, herbs and natural yoghurt and you have a feast~

~Nooshi joonet. Enjoy ~

Khoresht e feseenjan or Persian walnut and pomegranate stew.

Khoresht e Feseenjun is an exquisite  Persian dish made with ground walnuts and pomegranate paste.  Although it actually doesn’t look so great, it’s to die for. It’s more a dish that you would make for a special occasion rather than everyday. Typically it’s made with poultry, chicken turkey or duck  or you can substitute the poultry with meat balls. The dish is intended to be both sweet and very slightly sour.

KHORESHT E FESEENAN or PERSIAN WALNUT AND POMEGRANATE STEW

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo gr chicken or turkey
• 2 large onion
• 500 gr’s of ground walnuts
• a generous pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 teasp of turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 teasp of salt
• 5  tablespoons of pomegranate paste or 2 cups of pomegranate juice.
• 6 glasses of water

Method:

1. Place 6 glasses of water in a pan and bring to the boil.
2. Add salt, ground walnuts, pomegranate paste and sugar
3. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for about 3/4 hour. The oil from the walnuts will come out and help to thicken the khoresht.
4. Meanwhile chop the onions and fry in a little oil until golden
5. Add the chicken pieces ( or meat balls ) and brown off
6. Add the turmeric and stir in
7. Add these to the khoresht and leave to simmer on a low heat for about another 40 minutes
8. Just before serving sprinkle with a few chopped walnuts.

Serve with plain white rice and a fresh salad.

HOW TO MAKE POMEGRANATE PASTE

It’s not always easy to find Pomegranate paste unless you live near an Iranian grocery store.  But don’t worry it’s really very easy to make yourself. Here’s how:

1. Take about 6 cups of pomegranate juice and bring to the boil
2. Add a little salt and a little lime juice ( or lemon juice) to taste and simmer for about 3/4 hour or until the sauce thickens.
3. When thick remove from heat and pour into a jar with an airtight lid.
   
4. Allow to cool and store in the fridge.

Nooshi joonet. Enjoy.

Khoresht e Gheimeh

This is one of the first dishes I learn to cook when I was a 17 yrs old and years later I still love making it and eating it! This dish is very easy to make, a kind of throw it all in and wait for it to cook. The key to Khoresht e Gheimeh is in the taste. It’s supposed to be quite sour and so I use a lot of dried limes but you can vary it to suit your own taste. Completely gluten free, nutritious and tastes divine. Limu Ormani are available from all Iranian grocery stores but you can use lime juice if you dont have them.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr’s of lamb
• 1 large onion
• a bowl of split yellow pea’s or two good handfuls
• A can of tinned tomatoes
• tomato paste
• turmeric
• A 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon ( optional)
• 4-5 small to medium  limu ormani or whole dried limes or 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water

Preparation:

• Chop the onion
• trim and cube the lamb
• wash the split yellow pea’s

Method:

1. Fry the onion in a pan until golden
2. Add the lamb, salt and pepper  and cook until colour changes
3. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and mix in well
4. Add the tinned tomato’s and about 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste. The khoresht should be quite red in colour
5. Cover with hot water
6. Add the split yellow pea’s. If you want to cook the split peas separately you can, although I have never found it necessary. They need about 30-40 minutes to become soft.
7. Leave to stew for about 90 minutes or until lamb is tender. You will need to keep an eye on it and add more water as you need to.
8. About 15 mins before you are ready to serve, take 2 large potatoes, peel and cut into fine chips.
9. Fry these until golden and place on the top of your greimeh before you serve.

Serve with white basmati rice and a fresh green salad, mast or natural yoghurt, sabzi khordan and naan.

Nooshi joonet . Enjoy

Khoresht e Ghormeh Sabzi or Persian Herb stew

Everyone loves this khoresht. It packed full of vitamins and nutrients and is totally delicious for any occasion.  It’s time consuming if you want to make it from scratch but if you follow my suggestions for freezing herbs for this recipe, or use dried herbs it cuts the time drastically.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr’s of lamb
• 1 large onion
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 3-4 whole dried limes
• 2 cups sabzi for Khoresht e Ghormeh sabzi
• red kidney beans a tin of
• salt and pepper
• water

Preparation:

• Wash the kidney beans
• chop the onion
• cube the meat
• If you use dried herbs, soak in water for 10 minutes. Then squeeze the herbs with your hands until the water is gone and put to one side.

Method:

1. Fry the onion in a little oil until golden
2. Add the meat and begin to brown
3. Add turmeric, salt and pepper mix and allow to brown off
4. Add enough hot water to cover
5. Add the dried limes. I usually make two small insertions on the limes with the tip of a knife.
6. Cook for about an hour and a half until the meat is tender.
7. Add the pre frozen herbs or
8. Heat a frying pan without water or oil, take the herbs you put to one side earlier and cook the water off, you should see a lot of steam. When the steam stops, add a little oil and fry until dark and add to the meat.
9. Cook for about 30 minutes.
10. Finally about 20 mins before serving add the kidney beans.

Serve with white rice, mast or natural yoghurt and a salad.

Nooshi joonet. Enjoy

Khoreshte Khalal

Khoreshte Khalal is a regional dish from the Kermanshah province in Iran. Usually it uses black zereshk or barberries which are commonly found in that region. They are smaller ,  slightly more robust  and taste slighty more sour  than red zereshk but as they are less easily sourced outside of the region, red zereshk can be substituted. Limu amani are whole dried limes which you will find in any Iranian grocery store and often in Indian grocery shops in the UK. See my notes on Za’faran and how to use it before starting this recipe. This recipe is completely gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs.

This is a special dish, often served to guests and a much guarded secret for some reason! I’ve been unable to find other recipes for it but learnt this from an expert Kermanshah cook first hand! It takes a few hours to make and is usually better served the following day but it’s well worth the wait. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr  lamb
• 1 large onion
• 3-4 limu amani ( persian dried limes)
• 150 gr zereshk (red or black) or a good handful
• 150 gr sliced khalal ( sliced almonds) or a good handful
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• salt
• 2 cubes of  sugar or equivalent in granulated sugar
• oil
• 2 desert spoons of tomatoe purée
• 1 cup za’faran infused water

Preparation:

• dice the onion
• cube the lamb removing the fat
• Crush the limu ormani and remove the pips to avoid an unpleasant bitterness
• prepare the za’faran infusion using sugar to grind.
• Pick out the unwanted dried bits of stem and then wash and drain the zereshk  as they are likely quite dusty.

Method:

1. Gently fry the chopped onion in a little oil  until it changes colour and when beginning to turn  golden add the turmeric and continue to stir. You may need to add a little more oil as the turmeric soaks up oil.
2. Add the cubed lamb and continue to fry until the lamb changes colour
3. Add the crushed limu amani. You will begin to smell the wonderful aroma of the limes. This takes a few minutes.
4. Add a little water, a good pinch of  teaspoon of salt  and stir in
5. Now add enough water to cover the meat and simmer on a low heat for approximately 1/2 an hour. You will need to hover over it and top up the water from time to time.
6. After 30 minutes add the  tomatoe purée and a cube of sugar or equivalent and leave to simmer for over a low heat for  about an hour or so, adding more hot water if needed. The water should always just cover the meat.
7. After about an hour take another pan, a small frying pan is ideal and heat it without adding any oil. Add the zereshk and cook off the excess water from their wash. You should see steam coming off from them and then they begin to change colour ( this is not obvious with black zereshk). Add a little good oil and then add the khalal and stir. Add the cup of za’faran infusion and allow to cook for about a minute.
8. With this khoreshte you are aiming for a sweet and sour taste combined. You can alter the balance to suit your own preference.The colour of this khoreshte should be reddish brown.

Serve Khoreshte Khalal with naan and/or rice and salad, natural yogurt and a dish of sabzi khordan.

Nooshi joonet.  Enjoy.

Khoreshte Karafs or Persian Celery Stew

Khoreshte Karafs is awesome. A great winter warmer and well loved by all, even those who aren’t usually keen on cooked celery. It has a zesty tang from the limes and herbs which is unforgetable. This khoreshte can be made all in one pan and is completely gluten-free.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr’s Lamb diced
• 2 bunches of celery washed and cut into 2-3 cm length strips. Use the small fresh leaves of the celery and add with the other herbs.
• 2 large onions sliced
• 500 gr’s of mint and parsley  or 1 bunch of each chopped
• 5  teaspoons of lime juice and 2 limu ormani or whole dried limes
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• cooking oil

Preparation:

• Clean and chop the celery and herbs
• Chop the onions
• Dice the meat

Method:

1. Gently fry the onions until they become slightly golden
2. Add the diced lamb and mix with the onions
3. Add the turmeric, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt
4. Add a little hot water enough to cover the meat and stir.
5. Add the lime juice and/ or  limu ormani
6. Add some more hot water and allow to cook for about 45  minutes.
7. Add the chopped celery and chopped herbs and stir
8. Add more hot water if necessary and cook for another 30 minutes. The celery should not become too soft.
9. You may wish to add a little more lime juice if you like you khoreshte more sour.
10. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle a little fresh mint on the top of the khoresht

Serve with polou ( rice).

Sabzi (Persian herbs). Everything you want to know

Sabzi is one of the great characteristics of Persian cuisine. It refers to the leafy part part of the herb and is used both in Khoreshts for flavour and bulk and in sabzi khordan as an accompliment to meals. Some herbs are easy to grow yourself such as mint, and coriander and there’s nothing more satisfying than picking  herbs fresh from your own garden. However I haven’t had much luck with tarragon here in the UK. Sabzi is always best fresh but this isn’t always possible and it’s difficult to produce enough to meet all your needs. A great alternative is sabzi khoshk or dried herbs and most of these are easily sourced and  available in nearly all supermarkets. When using dried herbs its advisable to soak the herbs before use to ensure  maximum flavour. You can buy almost all the dried herbs you need for each dish you want to make from an Iranian Grocery store. If you want to make a persian omelette for example, look for Sabzi Kukoo.

For a list of the herbs you need for Persian recipes follow this link

Main Herbs

Parsely or jafari You may know that parsley is native to Mediterranean land and has been used by the ancient Greek and Romans. What you may not know is that Persians have cultivated and used parsley in a wide variety of dishes for thousands of years. Parsley is part of many herb mixes of Persian cooking such as Sabzi polow, Ghormeh sabzi, Aash, Karafs and Kuku herb mixes.

Dill weed or shivid is extremely aromatic and is mainly used for food seasoning in many countries around the world. Persians, however, have used dill weed in a unique way in rice dishes such as shevid polou  (Dill and rice mix) and Baghali  polou (broad beans and rice). It is also mixed with other herbs as part of preparing other delightful meals like sabzi polou (a rice dish), khoreshte karafs  (a stew) and kuku e sabzi  (vegetable omlette).

Coriander or Gheshniz. Corriander is native to Iran and easily found in any supermarket across the globe. It’s also easy to grow here in the UK. It has a distinctive musky smell and is used  in salads, and for  Ghishniz polou and kuku. No persian kitchen would be without it is some form, either fresh or dried.

Fenugreek or shanbalileh is one of the world’s oldest and widely used medicinal herbs. It has a variety of attributes and is used for increasing libido in men and as an aphrodisiac generally. The seeds have to be ground and can be used to make tea, for fevers,  to reduce menstrual pain and treat skin infection.  The leaf of the fenugreek is high in iron and helps with respiratory and sinus problems. In persian cooking it’s used in Aash ( soup) and in khoreshts such as ghormeeh sabzi.

Tarragon or tarhoon is again heralded for having many health benefits. Its used for the relief of stomach cramps, toothache, menstrual pain and as a cure for bile and high blood pressure. It’s a vital herb in the Persian diet, used on its own or with pickles torshi and in khoreshts. It has a peppery aniseed taste and is grown easily in Iran although I haven’t had much success growing this myself.

Mint or nanar is another vital. This is very easily grown yourself and spreads rapidly so once you start to grow it, you shouldn’t ever have a problem with quantity again. Used in a variety of dishes from must o khiar a yoghurt and cucumber side dish to chai tea. Its eaten with meals on its own, mixed into salads, and as one of the many herbs needed in khoreshts. You can also buy ab nanah  or mint water. I always keep a bottle at hand as its great for stomach ailments and indigestion. I have found it really useful if by some accident I have eaten something glutenous…. it helps relieve the cramps.

Sweet Basil or reyhan is widely grown all over the world and a favoured herb of the Italians. However was originally native to Iran and was grown there over 5,000 years ago. It has a sweet pungent taste, is easily grown at home on your kitchen window sill or in the green house during colder months and in your garden during the summer. It can be frozen and kept for several months. Health benefits are numerous: asthma and diabetes and as an antiviral to name a few. Sweet basil is a great compliment to all the peppery herbs in sabzi khordan and is widely used in many recipes.

Cress or shahi in contrast to basil has a peppery taste. High in iron, calcium and folic acid its a great immune booster as well as a stimulant, a diuretic and good for the digestion. In the east it’s often marketed as a sexual stimulant for men .. I can’t verify that! On the minus side, it is known to cause cystitis in some women because of its strong alkaline properties. Cress  is fairly widely used in persian cooking for its strong flavour. It makes a great addition to sabzi khordan and can be easily grown at home in pots or in your garden. If you buy  cress, please ensure you wash it thoroughly as commercial growers use animal waste to promote its quick growth.

Leek chives or tareh are from the onion family and have a distinct onion garlicy taste. It’s the green hollow stems that are used both in cooking and for sabzi khordan. Leek chives are so easy to grow at home. Once planted they are prolific and will sprout up all over your garden.  They require very little attention and can be chopped and frozen to see you through the winter months for cooking with.  Health wise they are very similar to garlic but less strong and are thought to be good for the circulation.

Radish or torabeh is a wonderfully colourful addition to sabzi khordan and Salad Olivieh. The skin is bright pink in colour and white inside and it really compliments the range of green herbs both in appearance and texture. The texture is moist and crunchy amidst all the softness of the herbs. Radishes are easily available from your supermarket all year-round. The radish is a root vegetable, easily grown in your garden during the summer months. There are a huge variety to choose from. Persian radishes are also easily grown here in the UK. They are slightly more peppery than european radishes. The only problem I’ve had growing my own is a lack of consistent sunlight, hence the end result is a little smaller than I would expect to have found in Iran. Medicinal benefits include protection against coughs and colds and general infections and as a cure for constipation.

Shallots or musi are from the onion or piaz family and available in most suppermarkets globally. Slightly sweeter,  firmer and harder than an onion shallots are  smaller in size.  shallots are a natural inhabitant of Iran and generally favoured above the onion because of their whiteness and strong taste. They are so hard that they often need to be soaked before the can be used. They are usually eaten with kebab and used to make ma’ast musir.

Sabzi Khordan

Sabzi khordan literally means ‘ eating greens’ and refers to a collection of herbs and vegetables that are traditionally served with lunch and dinner. Sabzi khordan is usually made up from the herbs above but it can be whatever you want it to be, what ever is available to you and seasonal.

To go with the herbs it would be traditional to add walnuts or gerdu and feta cheese or panir. The walnuts are usually soaked in water before serving to soften them.

If you are having a dinner party and want to prepare your sabzi khordan dish before hand, you can cover the herbs with a damp paper towel and add the walnuts and feta immediately before serving.

Sabzi khordan offers a light and refreshing side dish to main meals and is rich in nutrients and vitamins. It’s also a colourful addition to your table with the greens and pink radishes.

Iranian restaurants often feature ‘sabzi khordan’ as a starter ( grr… a personal irritation)