PERSIAN FOOD, some of my favorite dishes

  Adaz Polo (Adaz = Lentils) (Raisens  and Lentils get at Sprouts)

1.         Get a large plate full of lentils and check for bad ones to throw out. Put good lentils in med saucepan with water (rinse 3x) then cover with water about ½-1 inch on med high. Keep watch until water is gone and check until lentils are soft (not mushy soft just softer)

2.         Put 2 C of raisens in a bowl and cover with water and set aside to soak for a little while (while you do other steps) then rinse and strain them.

3.         Cut one onion into diced and put in frying pan till browned then add Raisens, fry for a few minutes then add a lil black pepper (1/2 -1 t) and a tip of 1 t of Safferon and same amount of Zachubeh (Tumerick)

4.         Start water in large pot on  lower heat (3 or 4) for rice.

5.         When Lentils are close to done take the lid off and turn up the heat to med high to finish off water. Make sure they don’t get TOO soft though.

6.         Rice: Approx 4 C rinse in separate bowl 2-3 x and cover with water by about 1 inch and add Salt to the water (Best if this can sit for 30 minutes soaking in salty water). When ready add this rice to the boiling pot of water. The water needs to cover the rice by a couple of inches, no lid just boil on Med (#4)

7.         Rice: When rice is a little hard a little soft + Lentils to rice water and mix for a few minutes then strain. Rinse a little with warm water IF too salty.

8.         TATIC: Cover bottom of pan with water just barely covering whole thing and add Olive Oil (1/4c?) Heat up on Med to HOT, Add flat open pitas, or sliced bread or thinner sliced potatoes to cover all the bottom, mash out bread if you need to, Take Off Heat.

9.         Spoon Rice mixture over tatic, make a volcano shape and then use end of spoon handle to circle out 5 holes in rice (for moisture while cooking) Put rice back on med heat with lid, Spoon raisen mix on top of rice at this point.

10.    In a small bowl mix a small t tip of Safferon with hot Water (1/4C?)  and spoon over cooking rice. (Add a little olive oil around edges of rice pan if too hot) heat on level 3 and + towel to seal lid (fold towel in 2’s) Rice will be done in approx 20-30 min, it’s Done when TATIC is done so keep an eye out, your JUST waiting on Tatic.

Spaghetti

Feel free to add diced peppers if you want to this recipe

1. Dice one onion in olive oil  in pan over med heat and brown it up then add 1 lb. ground beef until cooked.

Add 1 t ? Salt and Pepper and 1 ½ t Tumerick (Zachubeh)

Add 1 Can of tomato sauce and 2-3 Heaping T Tomato Paste.

Add a pinch of Safferon and 1-2 C Water. Cover on heat 4  Add a little shake of Garlic Powder.

2. Bring large pot of water w/ salt to a boil, Add Spaghetti (1 ½ lb) BARILLA BRAND, Boil on high until done, Strain, rinse with cold water.

3. Prep TATIC: Cover bottom of pan with water just barely covering whole thing and add Olive Oil (1/4c?) Heat up on Med to HOT, Add flat open pitas, or sliced bread or thinner sliced potatoes to cover all the bottom, mash out bread if you need to, Take Off Heat.

ADD some Noodles, then Sauce Mix, Noodles, Sauce Mix. Put lid on and heat on Med.

After heated up with moisture present, Add Towel to lid to seal up.

Take out Most of Spaghetti and put back on heat (level 4) until tatic is done. Add a little oil if needed.

CUTLETS

2 Lbs Beef

1 Shredded onion (large or 2 small)

7 Shredded Red Potatoes

2 Eggs

Zachubeh (Tumerick) hefty Dash

Salt and Pepper, 1 t of each

Mix all ingredient in large bowl and form into cutlets and fry up in olive oil on one side then the other. Can freeze flat in freezer.

KABOBS

1 lb Beef            1 Onion                        1 t Salt                         1 t Pepper            1 t Tumerick

Roma Tomatoes  1 Can Tom Sauce   Safferon

Mix and massage/pound. Press into a frying pan about ½ inch thick then use your fingers to create “kabobs” (Use index fingers to form kabobs about two inches wide)

*If using a higher % if fat in meat maybe add a little water in pan to fry up. Heat on Medium.

Cook up on one side, while covered w/ lid, then flip and cover to cook on other side. Cover on level 3. Once cooked and water is cooked add a lil oil if needed.

Slice Roma Tomatoes in 4’s and fry up with meat. When done + 1 Can of Tomato sauce and ½-1 can water. + Small pinch of Safferon and cover on 3.

GORMASABSY- My Favorite dish on the PLANET!!

2 Bunches Green Onion

5 Bunches Parsley (tear stems off)

1 Bunch Cilantro (tear stems off)

2- 2 ½ lg handfulls of fresh spinach

1.         Wash all these in large bowl of cold water. You may need to wash 2-3 times unitl water is coming clean. Dry spinach on towl.

2.         Cut 1 Onion in ½, slice and then dice and fry up in small pan in Olive oil until browned and then add 1 lb Beef Stew and cook up. When about done add dash (1 t?) Salt, pepper, Tumerick then add water into pan a few inches over meat and cover on med- med high.

3.         In Food Processor fine chop all veggies and then add the veggies to a large frying pan and drizzle with olive oil in a few circles and fry up on med. High (level 6)

4.         Take 8 small dry lemons and stab them a few x on each side and put in a small bowl of water for 10-15 min then add to the meat mixture.

5.         When Vegtables are dark and pepper. Use whole hand of fingers and do 2 pinches of dry Fenugreek leaves, ½ t Tumerick then add to the meat mixture. + water if needed to consistency

6.         Add ¼ C ? Lemon Juice, put lid on and heat on 2/3.

7.         Later when you check on mix and lemons are softer, squish them against the side and turn to low ½. Simmer another hour or so. (done when meat is super tender)

8.         When done + 2 Cans of Rinsed Bushes Kidney Beans

LUBIA POLO (Green Beans= Lubia)

1 Onion, ½ it then slice and dice it.

 2 Cans Green Beans  or equivalent in FRESH Green Beans (If fresh fry up and then set to the side to add later)

1 lb or less of small cut up stew meat (always best to buy large roast and cut down yourself)

1.         Put Onion in a little Olive Oil in pan on med to fry up. When Onions are done + Beef to cook up.

2.         Add 1 T? Tumerick in cooked meat/onions, Add Hefty dash of Salt and Pepper

3.         Add 3 T Tomato Paste and Tiny BIT of Safferon

4.         Add enough water to make a little saucy, cover with lid and simmer on medium (level 4) to cook up and soften meat more.  Add a dash of Salt and Pepper again.

5.         Add Beans to Stew, may add a little water to make saucier.

6. Prep Pot for Tatic-  Cover bottom of pan with water just barely covering whole thing and add Olive Oil (1/4c?) Heat up on Med to HOT, Add flat open pitas, or sliced bread or thinner sliced potatoes to cover all the bottom, mash out bread if you need to, Take Off Heat.

Add Rice then Lubia, Sprinkle Cinnamon on top of this layer and then add Rice, lubis, Cinnamon again.

6.         Use end of spoon to make 5 holes in rice (don’t TOP off the pan, only fill ¾ full) (Use two pans if needed)

7.         Cover and put on 3 Heat

Chicken Noodle Soup

In a large pot with about 2 inches of water and 1 onion diced, heat up over high heat (7)

Add 3-4 Chicken legs (that have been cleaned and de-skinned) straight into the water.

Add Either 1 ½ T scoops of Tomato Paste or 2 C. diced fresh tomatoes.

Add hefty dash of black pepper, salt, Zachubeh (TUMERICK) to soup.

Cut up approx. 4 Carrots into small pieces and add to soup.

Cover and heat on medium high (4/5)  + Salt to taste as you check on it.

Cut up 7 small red Potatoes into small chunks and add to the soup water AFTER Carrotts and chicken are done, then cook WAY LONGER (1 hr or so ) till potatoes are done.

At the end Add 1 ½ C Pasta (small Iranian Pasta)  Cook 10-15 min till pasta is soft.

ZERESHK POLO (Zereshk= Berry)

1.         Approx 2 chicken legs per serving, I did 14. Clean them and take the skin off. Put them in a large frying pan on high heat (7) Drizzle Olive Oil  over chicken and cover w/ lid, drop heat to med (4/5)

2.         3 oz. approx of Zereshk berries on large white plate to check for rocks and bad colored ones (throw out). Then put them in a bowl of water to soak.

3.         Next check chicken and continue to slip to cook all over. Add Salt and Pepper occasionally. In the END 1 ½ T white sugar all over and a little dash of Safferon on each chicken leg.

4.         Start large pot of water to heat for rice (on 6 )

5.         Rinse 5 C. rice 2-3 x and add salt to bowl and let sit.

6.         Rinse and strain the berries (berrys may be a little dirty)

7.         Dump rice into hot water (water should cover by 1- 1 ½ inches so adjust accordingly) Add More Salt. Heat on ¾ until soft/hard, strain.

8.         In med saucepan heat up a little olive oil and Add Berries. Heat on 7 for 30 seconds and then turn down to 4 for 1 minute or so, then Add 3 T white sugar and ½ t? Safferon. Mix and heat a minute and then take off heat.

9.         Prep pot for Tatic- Cover bottom of pan with water just barely covering whole thing and add Olive Oil (1/4c?) Heat up on Med to HOT, Add flat open pitas, or sliced bread or thinner sliced potatoes to cover all the bottom, mash out bread if you need to, Take Off Heat. Put Rice in, add 5 holes in rice and add a lil water to middle hole and heat on level 5.

10.   In Chicken legs add ½ bowl of water, cover with lid and put on Medium (4) water should cover about ½ the chicken. Cook LONG time (1 Hr +)

11.   Add a LITTLE chicken water to berrys in the end.

Serve a few berrys over chicken legs for decoration and the rest of the berrys can be scooped on their own over rice.