Vegetarian Esfenaj Aloo

Tags

aloo bukhara, Perisan food recipes, vegetarian persian recipes, vegetarian spinach and plum stew

Vegetarian esfenaj aloo

Vegetarian esfenaj aloo, spinach and plum stew, is sautéed spinach cooked in an aromatic sweet and sour sauce of fried onions and garlic with aloo bukhara and Persian lime limoo amani. I’ve made this dish with prunes before, but prefer the taste of aloo Bukhara.

If you’re looking for the meat version of this stew, check out my Khoresht Esfenaj and Aloo recipe.

Use either fresh or frozen spinach for this recipe. I always buy a large bag of fresh spinach from Costco and freeze the leftovers without chopping it. Before using it, I smash the bag of frozen spinach with my hands breaking leaves into smaller pieces. It’s much easier and faster :).

Spinach leaves release a lot of liquid during cooking and 12 cups of it wilts down to 2 cups. The fastest way to sauté it is to use higher cooking temperatures and a large pan to increase the cooking surface. Cooking in batches not to crowd the pan will also help speed up the process. I let my spinach cook down and fry for few minutes before taking it off the heat.

While the spinach was cooking, I fried the onions and garlic and added the spices. Cooking the ingredients simultaneously instead of in stages saves time and energy in the kitchen, but the drawback is more dirty pots.

This was the first time I used limoo amani in this dish and I was pleased with how it turned out. Since the cooking time was shorter for vegetarian esfenaj aloo, I broke the limes into pieces and removed their seeds and shells before adding them to the pot. After stirring in hot water, I let the sauce cook for 10 minutes for the plums to soften before adding the spinach. By adding hot water the temperature of the sauce remained the same, hence reducing the cooking time.

I cooked the vegetarian esfenaj aloo for 30 more minutes and while that was cooking, pressure cooked a cup of Great Northen beans to boost the stew’s protein content. That’s what I had in my pantry and it turned out to be a great choice. But, other types of white beans or legumes would work with this recipe. Another great meat alterative is tofu, that is if you like tofu.

I loved the creamy texture of the white beans in this dish. Not only did they look good, they tasted yummy and best of all, they didn’t alter the flavors of this traditional stew.

Vegetarian Khoresht Esfenaj Aloo 

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2½ pounds fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped or 16 oz. frozen
¾ cup dried Persian Aloo Bukhara rinsed and drained
2 Persian limes  limoo amani broken into pieces with seeds and shells removed
3 cups hot water
2 cups cooked white beans or canned beans

INSTRUCTIONS

Add chopped spinach and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until all the liquid is gone and the spinach is reduced in volume.

In a medium-sized pan, fry onions in the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Stir in salt, pepper, turmeric, aloo bukhara and limes.

Add 3 cups hot water to the onion mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

Add cooked white beans and cook 10 more minutes to let the flavors blend.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve vegetarian esfenaj aloo over a bed of aromatic basmati rice.

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Vegan Khoresht Hulu (Peach Stew)

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Peach stew, Peach stew with tofu, peaches, vegan Persian stew, vegetarian persian recipes, vegetarian Persian stew

Vegan Khoresht Hulu

My vegan friend loves fruity dishes and requested a Persian fruity dish. Being that peaches are in season, I decided to make her a vegan khoresht hulu, peach stew. I had never made this stew before, because no one in my family is a fan of fruity dishes, but figured it’s made just like Persian quince stew. Since my friend doesn’t eat sugar and likes her rice drenched in sauce, I didn’t use any sugar in this dish and added more water than I usually do. She loved my vegan khoresht hulu so much that she wanted its recipe, so here is the recipe I created for her, but feel free to add your own touches to it.

The peaches gave this vegan khoresht hulu just a touch of sweetness and the sour grapes I used gave it the right amount of tang without being overly sour. The stew had the right amount of flavors and elegance to make it a keeper.

As with any Persian stew, I fried the onions until slightly golden then added cubed tofu along with all the spices. Sour grapes called ghooreh may not be the common choice for this dish, but I liked the subtle tartness they added to this dish. I bought few pounds of sour grapes while still in season and stored them in freezer after washing and draining them. They keep well for months and can be used in Persian stews.

After frying the tofu with onion mixture, I added the sour grapes, saffron and water and let the stew simmer for 15 minutes for the flavors to blend and the water to reduce. Peaches cook quickly and if you add them too early, they will fall apart. I used white and yellow peaches and some riper ones fell apart. It’s best to use firm peaches so they keep their shape.

After adding the peaches, the stew cooked for 15 more minutes until the peaches were tender.

Saffron is an important element in this dish and gives it a distinctive taste and of course the deep orange color. You can sub turmeric for it, but you won’t get the exact taste. Ground saffron can be directly added to the liquid or first seeped in hot water. Either way works.

The best way to extract flavor from saffron is to ground it and soak it in hot water. For stews, I usually add the ground saffron directly to the liquid, but for rice dishes I soak it in hot water and cover it for couple of hours to make saffron water. 

Cooking fruit-based Persian stews like vegan khoresht hulu is a great way to sneak fruits into your savory dishes.

I garnished the stew with fresh cilantro and was pleasantly surprised at how perfectly cilantro complimented the peaches. Basil pairs well with peaches as well. Serve this vegan khoresht hulu over a bed of fragrant bastmati polo, yum!

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time:  50 min
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: 6 serving

INGREDIENTS

6 large peaches cut into wedges
6 tablespoons regular olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon advieh polo (rice seasoning)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup sour grapes or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1¼ cups hot water
pinch of ground saffron (optional)
I package extra firm tofu 14 oz. drained an cut into small cubes 

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 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 cubed tofu, sour grapes and seasonings. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, stir gently not to break the tofu. Add hot water and saffron. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes to let the liquid concentrate.

Layer peaches 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.

Serve with basmati polo.

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Vegan Khoresht Bamieh

Tags

okra, Persian food recipes, Persian recipes, sour grape ghooreh, vegan and vegetarian okra stew, vegan bamieh khoresht, vegetarian khoresht, vegetarian persian recipes, vegetarian Persian stew

Vegan Khoresht Bamieh with Tofu

Vegan khoresht bamieh, okra stew, is a very easy to make tomato-based Persian stew. Assembling this stew is pretty straightforward. You sauté the aromatics, add the okra, and finish the dish with fried tofu. This vegan khoresht bamieh will definitely appeal to okra lovers and haters alike.

One of the reasons okra is disliked so much is its sliminess. Okra has a slightly viscous texture and can become slimy when cooked. The pods’ walls contain mucilage, a gel like substance similar to alo vera, and release it during cooking.  But, by cooking them whole as in this recipe and using the right techniques, the sliminess won’t be a problem anymore. Furthermore, the acidity added by the sour grapes reduces okra’s production of mucilage.

All Persian’s tomato-based stews are prepared the same way. Once you master one, you can cook the rest like a pro. You start by frying the onions until caramelized or slightly golden in my case. Then you add garlic, if using, and other spices called for in the recipe and let them fry for few more minutes to become fragrant. I added sour grapes in this recipe, but you can use Persian limes or fresh lemon juice instead.

I always add my tomato paste at this stage of cooking and let it fry with the onion mixture. The key to a tasty sauce is to let the tomato paste fry in oil along with spices and other aromatic ingredients like onions and garlic. This would boost the flavor of the sauce in a huge way and add a saffron like color to the sauce.

By adding water to the onion mixture, a tasty sauce is created which is the base of all tomato-based Persian stews. Being that this dish is vegan, you can add vegetable stock if you like, but this sauce has so much flavors already that there is really no need for it.

I always add ground saffron to most of my dishes. It’s a real expensive spice, but a pinch of it goes a long way.

Some cooks don’t fry the tomato paste and add it along with water. The order in which the water is added doesn’t really matter if you know how much to add. Otherwise, it’s best to add the vegetables to the onion mixture first then add enough water to cover the vegetables. You don’t want to end up with soup.

When the sauce is ready, layer okras in the pot. I usually fry them for up to 10 minutes first, but forgot to do so here. The end result was just as good, so it’s up to you whether to fry them or not. 

For the best texture and flavor, buy the smallest okra pods you can find. Choose okra that is deeply colored and firm. Avoid okra that is oversized or too ripe, it will be even more slimy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find small pods, so I ended up with these large and unevenly sized pods. If you take the time to pick the same-sized pods, they would cook more evenly.

Refrigerate okra tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. If there is much surface moisture, slip a sheet of paper towel in the bag to absorb it. Incidentally, these tips work with all fresh herbs and vegetables. To reduce okra’s sliminess keep the pods intact and using a small paring knife carefully remove the leathery cap at the stem end.

I got distracted and my stew overcooked a little and few okras burst open. However, that only affected its presentation, not its taste. Actually, the juices given off by overcooked okras provided a delicate thickening to the stew. If you don’t want yours to overcook, definitely use a timer and check often toward the end of cooking process.

The vegan khoresht bamieh is ready when the sauce has reduced and oil has separated to the top. Add fried tofu and adjust the seasoning.  For a detailed instruction on preparing tofu check my recipe for vegetarian khoresht kadoo.

Serve over fragrant basmati polo.

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

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 large garlic cloves chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup fresh sour grapes ghooreh or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups hot water
pinch of ground saffron (optional)
1½ pounds fresh okra
1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu (optional) cut into cubes and fried

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the sauce, heat oil in a deep pan over medium high-heat. Add chopped onions and fry for about 20 minutes or until onions are slightly golden. Add chopped garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, salt, pepper and sour grapes. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomato paste is fried and changes the color of oil to a deep yellow-orange.

They key to a tasty sauce is to let the tomato paste fry in oil along with spices and other aromatic ingredients like onions and garlic. This would boost the flavor of the sauce in a huge way.

Finish the sauce by mixing in hot water and saffron. By adding hot water, the temperature of the dish remains the same, thus reducing the cooking time.

Add in okras. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lower heat to medium low and cook for about 30 minutes or until okras are tender. Do not overcook okra.

When stew is ready, add fried tofu. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve over aromatic basmati polo.

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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.