Maast-o-Khiar - Yoghurt Dip
Ingredients: (4 servings)
yoghurt, 500 grams
cucumber, 1/2 small (grated)
onion, one small (grated)
mint, 2 teaspoons
salt and pepper
Directions:
Beat yogurt well until it flows smoothly.
If yogurt is thick, add a bit of water while beating. If
fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped. Add mint,
grated onion and cucumber, salt and pepper to yogurt and
mix well. Leave in the refrigerator for two hours, then
serve. Maast-o-Khiar makes a delicious side-dish.
Mirza Ghasemi - Eggplant Dip
Ingredients: (6 servings)
8 small seedless eggplants
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs
2 medium tomatos
1/3 cup of cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Bake the eggplants in oven until cooked.
This occurs when the eggplants swell and the skin bursts.
Take eggplants out of oven and let them cool down slightly.
Peel them and cut the hard tops. Cut into small pieces.
Bring water to boil in a small pot. Cook tomatos in boiling
water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pot and let cool slightly.
Peel them and cut into small pieces.
Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden. Add eggplants and fry further
for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatos, salt and pepper and fry until the excess water
is gone. Beat eggs well with a fork and fry separately until half-cooked. Add
to eggplants, mix and fry further for 1-2 minutes. Can be served with white
rice or Iranian bread. This is a delicious dish from a region by the Caspian
sea in northern Iran.
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Kashk-e Baadenjaan - Eggplant & Whey Dip
Ingredients: (4 servings)
small eggplants, 6
kashk, one glass (kashk is thick whey, and should be purchased in Iran or at
an Iranian store)
tomato paste, one spoon
medium onions, 2
dried mint, 2 spoons (or 200 grams of fresh mint)
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Peel eggplants and slice length-wise to a
thickness of 1 cm. Add salt and pepper and fry on both
sides on medium heat until golden. Add half a cup of hot
water to one spoon of tomato paste and mix well. Add to
eggplants and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
Peel onions and slice thinly. Fry in oil
until golden. Also fry dried mint in oil for a few minutes.
Alternatively, fresh mint can be used. If so, wash and
finely chop mint, then fry in oil. Pour kashk evenly over
eggplants, follow with onions and mint, then serve. Variation:
Haleem Baadenjaan add minced meat to the dish.
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Borani-e Esfanaj- Yoghurt & Spinach
Dish
Ingredients: (4 servings)
fresh spinach, 1 kg
yoghurt, 250 grams
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (optional)
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Fry
onions and garlic in oil until slightly golden. Add spinach
and fry together over medium heat until cooked. Let it
cool down completely in the refrigerator.
Add salt and pepper to yogurt to taste and beat well until the yogurt is a
free-flowing liquid. Add spinach to yogurt and mix well. The mix should be
thick and homogeneous. This delicious side-dish is now ready to serve.
Nargesi Esfanaaj - Spinach & Egg Dish
Ingredients: (3 servings)
fresh spinach, 1 kg
3 eggs
2-3 onions, thinly sliced
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Slightly
cook with half a cup of water and a bit of salt over medium
heat for a few minutes. Drain water (using the back of
a spoon to squeeze extra water from spinach).
Fry onions in oil in a non-stick pan until
golden. Add spinach and fry for a few more minutes. Flatten
the surface using the back of a spoon and break the eggs
on top, taking care not to break the yoke. Add salt and
pepper and cover the pan until eggs are cooked but the
yoke should remain soft.
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Dolme-e Barg-e Mo - Stuffed Vine Leaves
Ingredients: (4 Servings)
250 g (.5 lb) fresh vine leaves (or preserved)
250 g (.5 lb) ground meat
250 g (.5 lb) fresh herbs, equal portions of parsley,
chive, mint, dill, scallion and tarragon
1/2 cup white rice
1 medium onion
4 tbs lime juice or vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs tomato paste
3 tbs oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Slice the onion and fry in a little oil until
it turns golden brown. Add the meat and stir fry until
brown. Add tomato paste, salt and pepper, 1 tbs sugar and
2 tbs lime juice. Let the meat simmer until there is no
liquid left. Clean the herbs removing coarse stems, wash,
dry, chop finely and add to the meat. Boil the rice for
15 minutes. Strain and mix with the meat and the herbs.
This is the stuffing. When using fresh vine leaves, choose
new and fresh ones, cut the stems, wash and arrange in
a pot with enough water to cover. Add a touch of salt and
bring to boil until leaves are tender. Strain and set aside
to cool down.
In a saucepan, add 1 tbs oil and arrange 2 rows of leaves to cover the bottom.
To prepare, put a small portion of the stuffing in the center of the leaf and
fold the sides of the leaf over the stuffing tightly. Arrange stuffed leaves
in the saucepan tightly next to each other with the folded side down. Add a
cup of water. Place a plate up side down over the arrangement before closing
the lid. The plate helps to keep stuffed leaves folded while being cooked.
Cook on low heat and add more water if necessary until ready. When stuffed
leaves are almost cooked, pour the mixture of 1 tbs sugar and 2 tbs lime juice
over them. Remove from the heat when the sauce is absorbed. Stuffed leaves
can be served hot or cold.
Kuku-e Sabzi - Fresh Herb Frittata
Ingredients: (4 servings)
vegetables (parsley, dill, coriander, lettuce, spring
onion ends), 1 kg
eggs, 4 large
barberry (optional), one spoon
crushed walnut (optional), one spoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
wheat flour, one spoon
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash vegetables and rinse thoroughly. Chop
finely and fry in oil for about 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
Beat eggs well, then add baking soda, salt, black pepper,
flour, barberry and walnuts. Add vegetables and mix well.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface
with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about
10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces,
turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.
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Kuku-e Morgh- Chicken Frittata
Ingredients: (4 servings)
chicken, 600 grams
eggs, 4 large
medium onions, 4
fresh lime juice, 1-2 spoons
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Peel and slice onions, then fry in oil until
slightly golden. Wash and cut chicken into pieces, then
fry in onions on both sides until color changes. Add salt,
black pepper, and one glass of hot water, and cook over
medium heat for about 20 minutes until little water is
left. Allow chicken to cool down, then remove the bones
and cut the meat into small pieces.
Dissolve saffron in 2-3 spoons of hot water, and baking soda in 2-3 spoons
of cold water. Add salt and black pepper to eggs and mix well. Add saffron,
baking soda, lime juice, chicken (with juice), and onions to eggs and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan until hot. Pour the mix in, flaten the surface with the back
of a spoon, and fry over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cut radially into 8
pieces, turn over and fry for another 5-10 minutes.
Kuku-e Sibzamini - Potato Frittata
Ingredients: (4 servings)
potatoes, 1 kg
eggs, 4-5
baking powder, one spoon
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Cook potatoes, then peel and grate them.
Let cool completely. Beat eggs well until they become foamy.
Add salt, black pepper, baking powder, and potatoes and
mix well.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface
with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about
10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces,
turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.
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Naaz Khatun - Eggplant & Pomegranate
Dip
Ingredients: (4 Servings)
6 small eggplants
4 medium tomatoes
2 cups pomegranate juice (or 2 teaspoons of pomegranate paste)
1/2 cup sour grape juice
2 medium onions
one teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
salt & black pepper
Directions:
Wash eggplants and tomatoes. Cook whole eggplants
in the oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Remove and let
cool, then peel and chop finely. Pour hot water over the
tomatoes, then peel and chop finely. Peel onions and grate
them.
Add pomegranate juice, sour grape juice, salt and black pepper to eggplants.
(If pomegranate juice is not available, use pomegranate paste mixed with 2
cups of hot water). Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add marjoram,
dried mint and grated onions, mix well and remove from heat. Add tomatoes,
mix, and serve.
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Armani Bademjan - Stuffed
Armenian Style Tomatoes
Ingredients: (6 Servings) 1 lb ground beef or lamb
1 onion, grated
1 bunch parsley, chopped
6 large tomatoes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
seasoning to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Mix together meat and onions and lightly
brown in a skillet. Add salt, pepper, and ½ cup
water and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in
parsley and seasoning; cover and set aside.
Wash tomatoes and cut
off tops. Remove the seeds and soft membranes, taking
care not to break through the skins. Stuff each tomato
with meat mixture. Arrange in a large, flat-bottomed covered
saucepan.
Pour in 1 cup water; cover and simmer over
low heat for 20 minutes. Remove tomatoes from sauce carefully
with
a spatula or large spoon and arrange on a platter to
serve. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Thanks
to Mazda Publishing and M.R. Ghanoonparvar for
this great recipe submission. To submit your own recipe, click
here.
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