Khoresht Kadoo Bademjan Ba Morgh

Tags

chicken, eggplant, Gluten free, Khoresht, zucchini

Khoresht Kadoo Bademjan Ba Morgh (Zucchini and Eggplant Stew with Chicken)

In khoresht kadoo bademjan ba morgh, golden brown eggplants and zucchinis cook in a rich and flavorful sauce of fried onions, tomato paste and spices. Furthermore, ghooreh, unripe grapes of seedless grape variety like Thompson grapes, imparts a unique flavor and bright tartness to this stew. Ghooreh can be found at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean markets in early June. Some stores may carry frozen sour grapes in their freezer section. Alternatively, other forms of ghooreh like the juice of sour grapes called abghooreh; or ground sour grape which is dried sour grape that is ground into powder, can be used in this recipe. This stew is a combination of khoresht bademjan and khoresht kadoo in one dish, perfect choice if you have family members who dislike either stew. No one would go hungry!

Since this stew is made with chicken tender and doesn’t require 30 minutes cooking prior to adding the vegetables, it’s best to fry the eggplants and zucchinis first. I fried the zucchinis on the stove top, but roasted the eggplants in the oven because they soak up less oil.

To roast your eggplants, place them in a non-stick roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, coating all sides. Roast, on the lower rack of oven, until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check every 10 to 15 minutes and flip them over.

You can fry the eggplants and zucchinis a day in advance, then cover and store them in your refrigerator.

To make this delicious stew, fry the onions until slightly golden on the edges. Then stir in the tomato paste and spices. Add chicken tenders and cook for about 5 minutes to let the tomato paste fry. By frying the tomato paste, you boost the flavor of the sauce in a huge way. Once the onion is ready, add the sour grapes. If you don’t have sour grapes, use lemon juice or limoo amani. Since limoo amani needs time to rehydrate and soften, give them a jump start by soaking them in hot water for 20 minutes prior to adding them to the sauce.

Heat the water before adding it to the fried onions to save time. Otherwise, it would take a few minutes longer to bring the sauce back to a boil. Now, your base sauce is done.

Place the eggplants and zucchinis over the chicken tenders and bring to a gentle  simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Serve khoresht kadoo bademjan ba morgh over polo. For a great side dish accompaniment try Persian cucumber salad or yogurt and cucumber dip.

Khoresht Kadoo Bademjan Ba Morgh (Zucchini and Eggplant Stew with Chicken)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour 30 min
Ready in: 1 hour 45 min
Yields: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion chopped
6 tablespoons oil for frying onion
8 chicken tenders
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
pinch of saffron (optional)
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup sour grapes or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice or 6 dried Persian limes
2 cups hot water
½ cup vegetable oil for frying eggplants and zucchinis
2 globe or 5 Japanese eggplants peeled
4 zucchinis peeled

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat ½ cup of oil in a large skillet and fry the zucchinis until golden brown. Remove to a platter and set aside. Add eggplants to the skillet and fry until golden brown.

To roast the eggplants, place them in a non-stick roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, coating all sides. Roast, on the lower rack of oven, until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check every 10 to 15 minutes and flip them over.

Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Stir occasionally. Add tomato paste and seasonings to the fried onions. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the sour grapes.

Stir in 2 cups hot water.  Place the eggplants and zucchinis over the chicken tenders and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve khoresht kadoo bademjan ba morgh over basmati rice.

Rice Cooker Baghali Polo

Tags

baghali, basmati rice, dill, dill rice, fava beans, Gluten free, Persian rice, tadig

Rice Cooker Baghali Polo (Fava Bean and Dill Rice)

In this rice cooker baghali polo, the fragrant basmati rice cooks effortlessly mixed with delicate earthy flavored fresh dill and buttery fava beans. We’re not talking about just any rice cooker, it has to be a Persian rice cooker. My Pars rice cooker is the most useful appliance in my kitchen and cooks rice to perfection every single time. It’s a bit pricey, but worth every penny. I love how I can measure all the ingredients and add them to the rice cooker pot and not have to worry about timing the cooking process or burning the rice, not to mention the beautiful tadig it makes every time! All Persian rice dishes can be made in a rice cooker with minimal effort and mess.

I made this baghali polo few months ago when fresh fava beans were available. I probably bought over a pound of fresh fava beans and by the time I shelled them, I ended up with one cup. I also used fresh dill in this recipe. The easiest way to clean dill is to make one cut across the bunched up stems. It’s totally fine to leave some longer stems as long as they are tender. Tender stems add so much more flavor to your dish. During washing you can always snap off the tougher stems if you see any.

Shelling fava beans is a tedious and time-consuming process, but it’s really worth all that effort, trust me. Nothing compares to the taste of freshly shelled fava beans. Most of the times, I buy the frozen shelled ones, but they tend to fall apart quickly and have to be added toward the end of cooking. The fresh ones can be cooked with the rice and won’t fall apart. If you have never shelled these beans before, here is a great video that shows you the process. If you end up with few real large beans, just cut them in half lengthwise and squeeze each half to pop the bean out.

Once you have all your ingredients ready, combine all the rice ingredients except saffron and fava beans in the rice cooker. Cover the rice cooker and plug it in. I used a regular measuring cup for this recipe. The cup packaged with the Persian rice cooker is smaller than the standard U.S. measuring cup. If you use the cup that comes with your rice cooker, adjust the rest of the ingredients.

Turn the rice cooker on and start the cooking cycle following the manufacturer’s timing. Ten minutes into cooking, gently stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine them. You may have to do this a few times to thoroughly mix the dill with rice, otherwise the dill might clump together.

Half way through cooking, about 30 minutes with my rice cooker, stir in the fava beans and continue the cycle.

If you don’t own a rice cooker, use the kateh method. Combine the rice, salt, olive oil, butter, garlic, dill and 3½ cups cold water in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Then uncover and cook on medium heat until most of the water evaporates. The rice will be half cooked at this point. Stir in the lima beans, cover and cook for about 40 minutes. 

When rice is ready, unplug the rice cooker. Dissolve saffron in 2 tablespoons hot water and pour over the rice. Place a round serving platter on top of the rice cooker. Using pot holders, firmly grab the serving platter and the pot flipping them over together.

You can serve baghali polo with mahi, pan-fried salmon, braised chicken breasts, braised chicken thighs or braised beef. To make a quick and tasty chicken tender to go with this rice follow the recipe below.

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil. Add a pinch of ground saffron and either a tablespoon of fresh chopped dill or 1 teaspoon of dry dill weed. Dried dill packs a stronger and more condensed flavor. Place the chicken tenders over the onion mixture, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. I used frozen chicken tenders and didn’t need to add any water. If you use fresh chicken tenders, add ¼ cup water and cook on low heat. You can cook your chicken while the rice is cooking.

 

Rice Cooker Baghali Polo (Fava Bean and Dill Rice)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 15 min
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For Rice:

2 bunches fresh dill chopped (2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen fava beans or 1/2 pound frozen lima beans
2 cups long grain basmati rice washed and drained
3½ cups cold water
2 tablespoons regular olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron (optional)

For Chicken Tenders:

1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tablespoons regular olive oil
½ teaspoon fresh or dry dill
8 chicken tenders

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all the rice ingredients except saffron and fava beans in the rice cooker. Cover the rice cooker and plug it in. Turn the machine on and start the cooking cycle following the manufacturer’s timing. Ten minutes into cooking, gently stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine them. You may have to do this a few times to thoroughly mix the dill with rice.

Half way through cooking, about 30 minutes with my rice cooker, stir in the fava beans and continue the cycle.

When rice is ready, unplug the rice cooker. Dissolve saffron in 2 tablespoons hot water and pour over the rice. Place a round serving platter on top of the rice cooker. Using pot holders, firmly grab the serving platter and the pot flipping them over together.

To cook chicken tenders:

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in ground saffron and fresh or dry dill. Add chicken tenders and water to the onion mixture. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. If using frozen chicken skip the water.

You can serve Rice Cooker Baghali Polo with mahi, pan-fried salmon, braised chicken breasts, braised chicken thighs or braised beef.

Khoresht Hulu Ba Morgh

Tags

chicken, Gluten free, Khoresht, peaches

Khoresht Hulu Ba Morgh (Peach Stew with Chicken)

Aside from being an amazingly delicious fruit-based Persian stew, khoresht hulu ba morgh (peach stew) is a real easy and quick Persian stew to make, really. Try my vegan khoresht hulu for the vegetarians in your family or a meatless dinner.

Khoresht hulu ba morgh not only looks beautiful and tastes amazing, it’s a great way to sneak fruits into your savory dishes, especially if fruits are not a part of your daily diet.

Try to buy chicken tender for this recipe as it’s more tender and cooks faster. Chicken tender or tenderloin, is a strip of lean breast meat that runs on both sides of the breastbone right under the breast meat. If you can’t find them, just cut a boneless chicken breast lengthwise into ½-inch thick strips.

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a medium-sized pot. Add chopped onions. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden, stir occasionally to keep from burning. Add chicken tenders and spices.

Cook each side of the chicken tenders for about 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink.

Add hot water and saffron. Cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, sauté peaches in 2 tablespoons oil for few minutes. I used white and yellow peaches for this recipe. Either one works.

Place the peaches atop the chicken tenders in the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until peaches are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Transfer khoresht hulu ba morgh to a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve over basmati polo. YUMMY!

Khoresht Hulu Ba Morgh (Peach Stew With Chicken)

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 10 min
Yields: 4 serving

INGREDIENTS

6 medium peaches cut into wedges
6 tablespoons regular olive oil divided
1 large onion chopped
6 chicken tenders
1¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon advieh polo (rice seasoning)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1¼ cups hot water
pinch of ground saffron (optional)
1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a medium pot. Add chopped onions. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden, stir occasionally to keep from burning.

Add chicken tenders and seasonings, and cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in hot water and saffron. Cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, sauté peaches in 2 tablespoons oil for few minutes.

Place the peaches atop the chicken tenders in the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until peaches are tender.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Serve over basmati polo.

 

Vegetarian Khoresht Gheymeh

Tags

Gluten free, Khoresht, limoo amani, vegan, vegan and vegetarian khoresht, Yellow split peas

Vegetarian Khoresht Gheymeh (Yellow Split Pea Stew)

Vegetarian khoresht gheymeh is a real crowd-pleaser and doesn’t necessarily scream vegetarian when you double the yellow split peas and top it with extra fries. Gheymeh is the second most popular dish on my site, the first being gheymeh bademjan.

Start the dish by heating your oil and frying the onions until slightly golden. Then, add the seasoning, tomato paste and garlic, and cook the mixture to a beautiful yellowish orange color.

Next, add yellow split peas, limoo amani, saffron and hot water and bring the stew to a gentle boil and cook until the split peas are tender.

While the stew is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into matchstick pieces. Then, fry the potatoes to a golden color, and drain on paper towels.

Your vegetarian stew is ready when the yellow split peas have cooked and the sauce has thickened.

If you want the split peas to stay intact, always use the slow cooking variety. 

After tasting and adjusting the seasoning, transfer the stew to a serving platter and top with the golden fries.

Serve vegetarian khoresht gheymeh over fluffy and fragrant basmati polo accompanied with a side of Persian cucumber salad or yogurt and cucumber dip.

Vegetarian Khoresht Gheymeh (Yellow Split Pea Stew)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons regular olive oil plus ¼ cup for fries
3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black ground pepper
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch of saffron (optional)
3 large or 5 small limoo amani pierced with fork
¾ cup yellow split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups hot water
3 small potatoes peeled and cut into matchsticks

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium pan. Add chopped onions and fry over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until onions are slightly golden. Stir occasionally to prevent onions from burning.

Mix in chopped garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomato paste is fried and the oil color is yellowish orange.

Add yellow split peas, limoo amani, saffron and hot water, and bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the split peas are cooked.

While the stew is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into matchstick pieces. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large frying pan and fry the potatoes over medium-high heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Transfer the fries to a platter lined with paper towel and sprinkle with salt to season.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve vegetarian khoresht gheymeh over polo. For a great side dish accompaniment try Persian cucumber salad or yogurt and cucumber dip.

Vegetarian Khoresht Fesenjan

Tags

Gluten free, Persian vegetarian, pomegrante and walnut stew, vegan, vegan and vegetarian khoresht

Vegetarian Khoresht Fesenjan (Pomegranate Walnut Stew)

This Vegetarian Khoresht Fesenjan with its creamy and thick sweet and sour sauce makes a great and satisfying meatless dinner and it’s an easy, no-fuss Persian khoresht you can make right at home. This stew can be made with meatballs, duck, turkey or chicken.  For the chicken version, check the fesenjan recipe I posted few years ago. If you serve this dish to those who have never tried it before, make sure they are not allergic to nuts.

I’ve made this vegetarian khoresth fesenjan with tofu twice so far and once without any meat alternative. Personally, I prefer it without any meat alternative, but feel free to add the protein of your choice.

As with all Persian stews, you start the dish by heating the oil first. You then fry the onions until slightly golden and add your spices. Some add cinnamon or Persian advieh, but I keep mine simple.

To save time in the kitchen, always multitask. While your onion is frying, toast the walnuts and process in the food processor until finely ground. The finer the ground walnut is, the smoother and creamier your sauce would be. I turn mine into an almost paste consistency. You can add a little water to process it easier. If you prefer a little texture in your stew, leave the walnuts finely ground. You can always buy ready to serve fresh pomegranate arils for added texture and color, when in season of course. 

The last step of the recipe is to add in your walnuts, pomegranate molasses and water and cook the stew until it comes together. I used two different brands of pomegranate molasses, half of each. The Indo-European brand had less sugar and was more sour than the Mid-East brand. If sugar is listed first on the ingredient list, chances are the molasses is real sweet and you may need to add lemon juice. On the other hand, if sugar is listed as the second or third ingredients, you may end up adding more sugar unless you like your stew on the sour side. 

As the stew cooks, liquid reduces in volume and the sauce starts to thicken and darken in color. The flavors also intensify and this is the time you want to give your sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning or flavors.  The way to adjust the flavors is to add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar if the sauce tastes too sour, then stir to blend the flavors. Let it simmer for few minutes before adding more. Conversely, if the sauce tastes too sweet, adjust the balance by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Again, simmer for few minutes and taste before adding more. The thickness of the sauce can also be easily adjusted by simply adding more water to thin it or simmering it uncovered to thicken it.

In making any Persian khoresht, you often hear the saying “it has to come together” and what that means is the oil has to separate to the top, just as you see in the photos above. That’s a sure sign that it’s ready. I always skim off the excess fat and leave enough for flavoring.

If you’re using tofu, you can add it toward the last 20 minutes of cooking. For a complete instruction on preparing tofu, refer to my vegetarian khoresht kadoo recipe. I just drained and used the tofu in this stew, but I think the chewy texture of fried tofu works better with Persian stews.

Always taste and adjust the seasoning before your serve your dish :).

Serve over fragrant basmati polo, YUM! 

Pomegranate arils add a dash of color, texture and flavor to your dish.

Vegetarian Khoresht Fesenjan (Pomegranate and Walnut Stew)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour 20 min
Ready in: 1 hour 35 min
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups walnuts
2 tablespoons regular olive oil
1 medium onion peeled and chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1¾ cups water
¾ cup pomegranate concentrate/ molasses
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
¼ teaspoon saffron (optional)
½ cup pomegranate arils
One 14 oz. package extra firm tofu (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a small pot. Add chopped onions and fry over medium-high heat for about 15 or until slightly golden.

In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant. Stir frequently to prevent walnuts from burning.

Add the toasted walnuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the walnuts are finely ground. If the walnuts stick to the sides of the bowl, stop the food processor to scrape down the sides.

When the onion is ready, stir in the salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook for a minute or so then add ground walnuts, saffron, pomegranate molasses and 1¾ cups of water. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 1 hour or until the oil separates to the top. As the sauce thickens, the walnuts settle to the bottom of the pot, so gently stir the bottom of the pot a few times toward the last 30 minutes to prevent walnuts from burning.

Pomegranate molasses can be very sweet, very sour or in-between depending on the brand used. Taste the sauce before using it and balance the sweetness and tartness according to your preference. The way to adjust the flavors is to add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar if the sauce tastes too sour, then stir to blend the flavors. Let it simmer for few minutes before adding more. Conversely, if the sauce tastes too sweet, adjust the balance by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Again, simmer for few minutes and taste before adding more. The thickness of the sauce can also be easily adjusted by simply adding more water to thin it or simmering it uncovered to thicken it.

If using tofu, add toward the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Skim the excess walnut oil from the surface of the sauce before serving the dish. Serve over fragrant basmati polo.

 

 

Vegetarian Khoresht Beh Aloo

Tags

aloo bukhara, Gluten free, quince, quince and plum stew, vegan, vegetarian Persian stew

Vegetarian Khoresht Beh Aloo (Quince and Plum Stew)

Vegetarian khoresht beh aloo is a savory fruit-based Persian stew made of fragrant quince, sweet and tangy dried plums aloo Bukhara and spices. Quince is a seasonal fruit that is not always easy to find. It has a light yellow and gritty flesh that is tough and sometimes very sour, but when cooked, it becomes real soft and fragrant.

I wanted to keep the flavors of this stew authentic, so I didn’t add any protein alternative, but feel free to add the protein of your choice. For the meat lovers in your family check out my khoresht beh recipe and to use yellow split-peas as your protein source see my vegetarian khoresht beh recipe.

As with all Persian stews, you start the dish by frying your onions. To develop a richer and more flavorful sauce, fry the onions for a good 20 minutes, then add the spices. When I first started cooking, I used to slice my onions thinly and evenly and spend an hour to caramelize them. I still do that when I’m cooking for a party, but for everyday cooking I just chop the onions quickly and fry them for up to 10 minutes for meat dishes and 20 minutes for vegetarian dishes.

Beh (Quince)

While the onions are frying, cut the quinces into pieces. Since they discolor quickly, it’s best to cut them just before adding them to the stew. However, if you decide to cut them sooner, make sure you keep them in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice, ¼ cup lemon juice to 1 quart of cold water. There is no need to peel their skin. I’ve cooked them both with and without skin.

Quince is a very hard fruit to cut and core. I found the easiest way to remove the tough and fibrous core without wasting some of the flesh is to place each quince upright on a cutting board and cut into quarters first. Then cut each quarter into two wedges. You will end up with eight wedges. Each wedge is then cut in half and the core is removed by cutting across it at an angle.

When the onions are ready, stir in salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. Add quince pieces and aloo, and cook for about 5 minutes mixing once or twice. You may want to soak the aloo for 20 minutes if they are very dry. The ones I used didn’t need presoaking.

Add saffron, hot water and lemon juice to the onion mixture and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the quinces are tender.

Some varieties of quince and aloo are very sour unlike the ones I used in this recipe. Taste the sauce before adding the lemon juice. If the sauce tastes too sour for your taste, skip the lemon juice and add a little sugar to balance the flavors.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve over aromatic and fluffy basmati polo, yum!

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Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ready in:1 hour
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 medium or 2 large quinces washed
4 tablespoons regular olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup aloo bukhara
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1¾ cups hot water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a medium pan. Add chopped onions and cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden, stirring occasionally to keep from burning.

While the onions are frying, place each quince upright on a cutting board and cut into 4 quarters. Then cut each quarter into two wedges. You will end up with 8 wedges. Cut each wedge in half and remove the tough and fibrous core by cutting across the core at an angle.

When the onions are ready, stir in salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. Add quince pieces and aloo, and cook for about 5 minutes mixing once or twice.

Add saffron, lemon juice and hot water to the onion mixture and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the quinces are tender.

Some varieties of quince and aloo are very sour unlike the ones I used in this recipe. Taste the sauce before adding lemon juice. If the sauce tastes too sour for your taste, skip the lemon juice and add a little sugar to balance the flavors.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve over basmati rice.

 

 

Khoresht Bamieh Bademjan Ba Morgh

Tags

chicken, eggplant, eggplant stew, Gluten free, Persian food recipes, Persian recipes, Persian stew with chicken

Khoresht Bamieh Bademjan Ba Morgh (Okra and Eggplant Stew with Chicken Tender)

This recipe for khoresht bamieh bademjan ba morgh is for the health conscious people who prefer chicken breast over red meat. I know it’s an awfully long name for a dish, but it basically means chicken stew with eggplant and okra, the Persian way of course :).

For this stew, you can use either globe eggplants or Japanese eggplants depending on what you can find. The globe eggplants vary in size anywhere from under a pound to over a pound and are the most common variety you would find year round in supermarkets. They are usually oval or pear shaped and have dark purple skins. If using globe eggplants, check my recipe for vegetarian khoresht bamieh bademjan for instructions on how to prepare them. Just to give you an idea, one globe eggplant can be substituted for 3 Japanese eggplants. Luckily, I was able to find Japanese eggplants which are the smaller elongated and slender variety with thinner skin and a more delicate and sweeter flavor. For instructions on how to prepare the Japanese variety, please check my recipe for pressure cooker khoresht bademjan. 

When buying eggplants, look for the firm ones with shiny and taut skin. When you press gently on the eggplant, the finger mark should disappear quickly if the eggplant is fresh. If the indentation remains, it’s overripe and the inside is probably mushy. If the eggplant feels rock hard and there is no give, it’s probably unripe. Most eggplants aren’t bitter. However, the larger ones that were given more time to mature have bigger and darker seeds that may be slightly bitter. Another thing to look for is the weight of the eggplant. It should feel heavier than it looks. For Japanese eggplants try to pick the ones that are straight and the same size so that they brown all around easier and cook more evenly. It would be hard to fry a curved eggplant in a little oil, because the curved section won’t touch the hot oil to brown unless you add a lot more oil to the pan, not to mention trying to steady it from rolling over.

Fry your globe or Japanese eggplants using the method of your choice by either frying them on the stovetop, baking them in the oven or salting and baking them in the oven. As for okras, keep them intact to prevent sliminess, and just cut off the stem ends without getting too close to the pod, then fry them in oil for few minutes.

While the eggplants are frying, sauté your onions until fragrant and slightly golden. Then add chicken tenders, garlic, seasonings and tomato paste.

Stir to coat the chicken pieces with the onion mixture. Cook the chicken tenders for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Stir in lemon juice, water and saffron. At this point, the chicken usually has to cook longer before adding the eggplants, that is if you’re using thighs, drumsticks or whole breasts. But, in this case since the chicken tenders cook quickly, you can proceed to the next step without letting them cook more.

Gently place the eggplants and okras over the chicken tenders and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Always taste and adjust the seasoning toward the end of cooking, because the sauce reduces in volume intensifying the flavors.

After adding the eggplants and okras do not stir your stew. You want to keep the okras intact and the eggplants from falling apart. Cook your stew until eggplants are tender. The stew is usually ready when the oil separates to the top, yummy! I skim most of the oil off though, but leave some for flavor. The eggplants in this stew readily soak up the delicious flavors of the sauce and turn creamy and succulent.

Serve over fluffy and aromatic basmati rice.

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Khoresht Bamieh Bademjan Ba Morgh (Eggplant Stew with Okra)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour 30 min
Ready in:1 hour 45 min
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For vegetables
1 pound fresh okra rinsed and stem ends trimmed
8 Japanese eggplants peeled
½ cup olive oil divided

For sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 large garlic cloves chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 chicken tenders
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups hot water
¼ teaspoon ground saffron (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

For vegetables – Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add okras, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Wash and dry the skillet. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet and fry the eggplants until golden brown.

For sauce – While the eggplants are frying, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-sized shallow pan. Add chopped onions and cook over medium-high heat until slightly golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from burning.

Add chicken tenders, garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Stir in lemon juice, water and saffron.

Assembly – Place eggplants and okras over the chicken tenders and cook 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve over fluffy and fragrant basmati rice.

Vegetarian Khoresht Karafs

Tags

celery and mint, Gluten free, limoo amani, Persian food recipes, vegan and vegetarian khoresht, vegetarian celery stew, vegetarian Persian stew

Vegetarian Khoresht Karafs

Vegetarian khoresht karafs, celery stew, makes a great meatless Monday dinner and is a perfect meal for vegans and vegetarians. This stew is typically made with lamb and served over fragrant basmati rice, but this meatless version is just as tasty and filling as its meaty counterpart.

I made this vegetarian khoresht karafs using my authentic recipe and just left the meat out and added garlic. To add protein, you can use any meat substitute you like. If you like tofu, use firm or extra firm tofu because they hold their shape better and make sure to press out all the liquid so that they crisp up nicely when fried and better absorb the flavors of the stew. For a complete instruction on preparing tofu check out my vegetarian khoresht kadoo recipe. Cooked garbanzo beans, white beans or red kidney beans also work well with this recipe.

The fastest and easiest method to clean herbs like parsley, dill and cilantro is to leave the rubber band or twist tie on the bunch and just twist the stems off with your hand or using a knife cut across the rubber band or twist tie discarding the stems. It’s perfectly fine to use the younger and more tender stems. If you see any tougher stems while washing or chopping the herbs simply remove them. This is much more efficient than picking each leaf off the stem. Now cleaning mint requires more work because mint usually has tougher stems. The best way to pick the leaves is to gather the smaller clusters and pinch them off or just strip the larger leaves off the stems.

After cleaning the herbs soak them in a large bowel of water and let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bowl. I repeat this process until the bottom of the bowl is clean, usually 3 times. This has become my habit and no matter how clean the herbs are I still have to soak them 3 times but you don’t have to!

Once the herbs are drained coarsely chop and fry them for about 10 minutes.

To prepare the celery, cut both ends off the bunch and separate the stalks. Then either soak the stalks in cold water or rinse them under cold running water to get rid of all the dirt stuck to their root ends. Next stack as many as you can comfortably hold on a cutting board and cut either straight across the stalks or at a diagonal about 1/2 to 1 inch apart depending on your desired size. I usually remove the tougher and more stringy outer stalks and use the rest of the celery as well as the  leaves.

To create a real tasty stew, fry the onions until slightly golden. Then add the chopped garlic, seasoning and dry mint and cook the mixture for few minutes before adding water and Persian limes limoo amani.  Even though fresh mint is used in this stew, I like to finish cooking the onions with dry mint because its flavor is concentrated and more pronounced not to mention its amazing aroma when fried.

Once the sauce is ready, add the celery and herb mixture and cook for 40 minutes or until the celery is tender. Half way through cooking, gently press the Persian limes limoo amani against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon to release their juices into the stew, but don’t break them open because their seeds can make the stew bitter.

If using saffron, tofu or cooked legumes stir them in toward the end of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve vegetarian khoresht karafs over fluffy and aromatic basmati rice.

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hour 20 min
Ready in: 1 hour 40 min
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion peeled and chopped
8 tablespoons olive oil divided
3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped (optional)
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dry mint (optional)
Pinch of ground saffron (optional)
4 Persian limes limoo amani pierced with a fork or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups water
1 head of celery cleaned and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 bunches fresh parsley cleaned and chopped
2 bunches fresh mint cleaned and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add parsley and mint, cook for 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add celery and cook for 10 more minutes.

While the celery and herbs are cooking, heat the remaining oil in a medium-sized pan. Add onions and cook for 20 minutes over medium-high heat until slightly golden, stir occasionally. Add seasoning, garlic and dry mint and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.

Add the celery and mint mixture, Persian limes and 2 cups of hot water, cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook on medium-low heat for about 40 minutes or until celery is tender.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. If using saffron, it’s best to add it toward the end of cooking.

Serve over fragrant basmati polo.

Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi

Tags

dairy free, Gluten free, sabzi stew, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian persian recipes

Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi

Who knew vegetarian ghormeh sabzi could be so delicious, even more so than the classic meat version! I think it’s because without the meat you get to taste and appreciate the other ingredients.

Some vegetarians visiting Iran comment on how difficult it is to find vegetarian dishes there or that the food is not vegetarian friendly. On the contrary, there are many wonderful vegetarian dishes if you know what to order at the restaurants. The only exception may be the traditional stews which usually contain meat. I don’t recall ever eating a meatless khoresht. If there was any leftover khoresht without meat, my mother-in-law would cook meat to add to it because no one would touch it.

In vegetarian ghormeh sabzi you can double the amount of kidney beans or add fried tofu to boost the protein content of the dish. Other types of beans or meat alternatives would also work with this recipe.

A lot of time and effort goes into making ghormeh sabzi. Most of the work involves the preparation of fresh herbs and frying the onions. When I’m making a large batch, especially if I’m cooking other dishes for a party, I clean, chop and fry the herbs a few days in advance and even fry the onions and cut the meat. All that is left to do a day before the event is assembling and cooking the stew. As the stew is refrigerated overnight, the flavors come together and it tastes even better the next day. When you break down the process into manageable parts, making this dish seems less cumbersome.

To clean the herbs, don’t go through the trouble of picking the leaves off the stems. Leave the rubber band on the bundle and use a sharp knife to cut the stems off at the rubber band. It’s perfectly okay to leave some stems on the herbs as they contain a lot of flavors. For green onions just remove the root ends and use both the white and the green parts.

If cutting the herbs by hand, place them on a large cutting board and finely chop them using a sharp knife. They can be roughly chopped too as long as there are no pieces longer than 1/4 inch.  If chopping a large amount of herbs, a food processor would make the process much faster and easier. It’s best to cut the green onions by hand because they can get mushy in the food processor.

If you wash the herbs few days in advance, wrap them in a towel or layers of paper towel, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate. The towel will absorb all the liquid helping herbs fry faster.

Frying the herbs is a crucial flavor developing step in this dish. Make sure you take the time to cook them long enough for the herbs to turn dark green and aromatic, but be careful not to burn them as they turn bitter. Use a pan with large surface to speed up the process and stir frequently.

If you’re good at multi-tasking in the kitchen, you can start frying your onions and herbs simultaneously. It takes about the same time for both to get ready which means shaving off 20 minutes of cooking time.

To fry the onions, add 4 tablespoons oil to a deep pan. Add onions and cook for up to 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Start with high heat and half way through cooking reduce heat to medium low. I don’t bother caramelizing my onions because it’s real time consuming and could take up to an hour. As long as onions are fried anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, your stew will have all required flavors of a tasty Persian stew. Since this stew is meatless, I fried the onions for a good 20 minutes to create a rich and flavorful stew.

Once the onions are ready, add the seasonings and dried limes limoo amani. Persian limes transform any dish by adding a pleasantly sour and aromatic tang of citrus to it. It’s important to punch a few holes in the limes before adding them so that the cooking liquid can penetrate the hard skins and flow through the holes infusing the stew with their scented tang and subtle complexity.To punch holes in the limes, hold them with one hand so they don’t roll off the counter and use your other hand to pierce them using a fork or a knife, a fork is safer!

Add fried herbs and hot water to the onions and bring the stew to a gentle boil. Lower heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the drained kidney beans. I always rinse them thoroughly to get rid of the excess salt and starch and also the metallic flavor sometimes found in canned beans. It’s best to cook your own beans if you have the time. You can add the raw beans with the fried herbs if you like, but then you have to adjust the amount of water and the cooking time since the beans absorb the liquid and take longer to cook. Another option is to cook the beans up to a few days in advance.

As the stew finishes cooking, oil separates to the top and the liquid reduces in volume concentrating all the flavors. I don’t usually add saffron to ghormeh sabzi, but a friend of mine taught me to spoon saffron water (dissolved saffron in hot water) over it after it’s transferred to a serving bowl. You can’t go wrong with saffron :).

Vegetarian ghormeh sabzi tastes more delicious the next day and keeps well in the fridge for up to few days. It also freezes well.

Serve over fragrant and fluffy basmati polo with a side of Persian cucumber salad, yum!

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 hour 30 min
Ready in: 2 hours
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chopped parsley
3 cups chopped green onions
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek
½ cup olive oil divided
1 large onion chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground
black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
4 large or 6 small whole Persian limes pierced with a fork
1 can red kidney beans (15 oz.) drained
2 cups hot water

INSTRUCTIONS

Add fresh chopped herbs, dried fenugreek and 4 tablespoons oil to large frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes or until the herbs become dark green and fragrant. Stir frequently.

In a medium-sized pan, fry onions in 4 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until golden. Stir in salt, pepper, turmeric and limes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add fried herbs to onion mixture along with 2 cups hot water. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

Add kidney beans and cook 10 more minutes or until oil separates to the top.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve vegetarian ghormeh sabzi over fluffy and aromatic basmati polo.

Almond Macaroons

Tags

almond, almond macaroons, Gluten free, Gluten free almond macaroons, Gluten free cookies, macaroons, Persian cookies, Persian dessert, Persian dessert recipes, Persian pastries

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You can have these macaroons ready in less than 25 minutes if you use store bought blanched almonds. I blanched …

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