Minoo’s Recipe For ‘Khoresht-e-Fesenjan’

 

‘Khoresht-e-Fesenjan’ is a kind of pomegranate-flavoured Persian stew made with poultry, or occasionally with meatballs. Depending on the taste of the cook it can be a sweet or sour dish. My wife Minoo usually makes it medium-sweet. In the amounts indicated the recipe serves about four people. 

 Ingredients

Pomegranate juice (3 cups) or pomegranate paste if you can get it from your local Iranian shop (3-4 tablespoons)

1 kg Chicken thighs (duck is also used in Iran)

Ground walnuts (350 grams)

3 chopped onions (medium)

Sugar (2 spoons)

Half a cup of cooking oil

Salt to taste

 Instructions

1. Peel onions and chop finely
2. Remove skin from chicken thighs
3. Add salt and fry chicken thighs and onions in oil until golden brown
4. Add 3 cups of water and bring to boil
5. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes adding more (boiling) water if required
6. Add ground walnuts and pomegranate juice or paste
7. (If you are using pomegranate paste, add 1-2 more cups of boiling water and bring to boil again)
8. Simmer the ‘Khoresht-e-Fesenjan’ until the oil in the walnuts separates and the mixture has the texture of thin porridge
9. Taste the mixture- if it seems sour add sugar to taste
10. ‘Khoresht-e-Fesenjan’ should be served hot with white rice.

Minoo’s Recipe for ‘Sabzi Polou’

‘Sabzi Polou’ is Persian rice with herbs that is commonly accompanied by fish. We like Sabzi Polou at any time of the year- not just at our Baha’i celebration of Naw-Rúz when it is a Beech family tradition. The following recipe should serve 4-5 people.  

 Ingredients 

Chopped fresh fenugreek, coriander, dill, chives and parsley- sufficient to fill small cup when chopped

2 cups basmati rice  

Vegetable Oil, Salt to taste

Instructions

1.           Rinse rice in pan, carefully pouring out the ‘cloudy’ water (this will avoid the rice going sticky)

2.           Add 4 cups of fresh water, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to the rice in the pan

3.           Boil for around 15 minutes, until rice is par-boiled

4.           Drain rice in a colander.

5.           Cover the bottom of the pan with a few teaspoons of cooking oil

6.           Put the par-boiled rice back into the pan, if possible heap it in the middle (Don’t know why-it seems to cook better…).

7.           Add chopped herbs- ‘folding in’ gently to avoid ‘mushing’ rice

8.           Wrap the pan lid with a muslin-type cloth and cover

9.           Cook on a low heat for a further 30 minutes or so

Ideally it should become crunchy at the bottom, forming what the Iranians call ‘tahdiq’. You should be able to turn over the pan onto a tray so that the rice ‘pops out’ in an aesthetically-pleasing round pan shape. Serve with fish.

Minoo’s Recipe For ‘Khoresht-e-Karafs’

Our eight-year old daughter is a big fan of her mum’s ’Khoresht-e-Karafs’ which is a kind of Persian stew with celery.

Ingredients

2 bunches of celery

1 kilo of boneless stewing lamb or beef (lamb is best)

1 large onion-finely chopped

Cooking oil

1 teaspoon turmeric

1.5 measures water

1/2 measure dried limes (or lime juice)

Salt and Black pepper (to taste)

1 measure chopped mint and parsley

Instructions

Cut fat off the meat and chop into cubes. Cut celery into c. 1 inch lengths and fry until slightly softened. Fry the onions and meat over a medium heat in cooking oil until they turn golden-brown, adding the turmeric and salt and pepper (to taste).  Put in the chopped mint and parsley and fry for a few more minutes stirring all the while. Turn down the heat. Add water, celery and dried limes. Put on the lid and simmer gently until meat is tender (for about an hour to an hour and a half). To be be served with white rice.

Minoo’s Recipe For ‘Dolmeh’

‘Dolmeh’ or stuffed vine leaves is another popular Iranian recipe prepared by Minoo (a.k.a. Mrs Beech). It can be eaten as a main meal with bread, or as an accompaniment to other dishes. In the amounts indicated this dish serves about 5-6 people.

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, crushed

20 medium to large fresh vine leaves

1 pound minced lamb

1 and a half cups basmati rice

half cup split peas

2 finely chopped medium onions

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons lemon Juice

Instructions

1. Fry minced lamb with onions, garlic, and coriander adding pepper, salt and cumin
2. Par boil rice and split peas
3. Mix lamb and rice/split peas together to make stuffing
4. Dip vine leaves in boiling water to soften
5. Fill vine leaves with about a tablespoon of stuffing (depending on size) roll leaves tightly, continue until all leaves are stuffed
6. Place ‘dolmeh’ in layers in a pan, adding sugar, lemon juice and one or two cups of water. Boil on low heat for c. 45 minutes. Can be served hot or cold