Read The New Persian Kitchen Online
Authors: Louisa Shafia
The New Persian Kitchen (10 page)
makes 30 matzoh balls, and serves 6 to 8MATZOH BALLS
2 yellow onions
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chickpea flour
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
12 cups chicken or vegetable stock
SOUP BROTH8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
4 dried limes, soaked in hot water to cover for 15 minutes
2 cups loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or cilantro
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
To make the matzoh balls, puree the onions in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl, and whisk in the egg, garlic, cardamom, turmeric, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and several grinds of pepper. Mix in the chickpea flour and chicken to form a thick paste. Cover and store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours, to firm up.
Wet your hands with cold water and break off walnut-size pieces of the dough. Roll them into smooth balls, to make a total of 30 balls.
In a large stockpot, bring the 12 cups stock and 2 teaspoons sea salt to a rapid boil. Carefully drop the dumplings into the stock. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes without opening the pot. When ready, the gondi will be firm in the center. Remove them with a slotted spoon. The cooking stock can be strained and used for the soup broth, or reserved for another use.
In a second stockpot, combine the 8 cups stock, carrot, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Pierce the limes several times with a fork and add them to the stock along with their soaking water. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice just before serving. Divide the
gondi
among soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, and serve.
Vegetarian Optiongondi
among soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, and serve.
Use 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu in place of the chicken. Drain and press the tofu well, then pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground to the consistency of ground meat.
pomegranate soupash-e anar
Shot through with the tart ruby acid of pomegranate, this savory soup shows how the fruits and vegetables of the Iranian garden are threaded into every colorful panel of its culinary tapestry. Both the meat and vegetarian versions of this soup are fragrant and satisfying, and the flavors get better with time. When fresh herbs aren’t available for the meatballs, replace them with half the amount of dried herbs.
serves 6 to 8SOUP
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
½ yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup split peas
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 cups vegetable stock or water
½ cup pomegranate molasses
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
1 cup thick Greek-style yogurt
MEATBALLS½ yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground lamb
2 heaping tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 heaping tablespoons minced cilantro
2 heaping tablespoons minced spearmint
2 teaspoons sea salt
To make the soup, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and cook the onion for about 10 minutes, until it starts to brown. Add the garlic, split peas, turmeric, cumin, and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about about 1½ hours, until the peas are tender and the soup is slightly thickened.
To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the lamb with the onion, garlic, and herbs. Add the salt and mix. Wet your hands and form the lamb into walnut-size balls.
When the split peas are tender, add the pomegranate molasses to the soup. Drop in the meatballs and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until they’re cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the pomegranate seeds. Top with yogurt and serve.
Vegetarian OptionFollow the recipe as directed, omitting the meatballs. Along with the split peas, add ½ cup lentils, ½ cup dried mung beans, ½ cup pearled barley, and 1 large beet, peeled and diced small. Use 12 cups stock or water. When the beans and barley are tender, add the pomegranate molasses and 1 bunch chopped cilantro.
oat and mushroom soupsoup-e jo
This warming, tomato-infused soup was first prepared for me by my friend Somayeh on a frosty February day. Its bilingual name,
soup-e jo
, and the heavy cream that usually enhances it suggest that it’s a European import to Iran, but a shot of turmeric and a healthy dose of lime juice make it unmistakably Persian. Although typically made with barley (
jo
), this recipe calls for oats. Toasting the oats in the oven cuts their cooking time in half and gives them a nutty flavor.
soup-e jo
, and the heavy cream that usually enhances it suggest that it’s a European import to Iran, but a shot of turmeric and a healthy dose of lime juice make it unmistakably Persian. Although typically made with barley (
jo
), this recipe calls for oats. Toasting the oats in the oven cuts their cooking time in half and gives them a nutty flavor.
serves 4 to 61 cup steel-cut oats
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups grated carrots
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cup tomato paste
Sea salt
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup milk, any kind
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse the oats in a food processor for 30 seconds to break them down, then toast them on a dry baking sheet for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until they’ve released all of their water.
Add the oats to the saucepan along with the carrots, turmeric, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the oats are very tender.
Turn off the heat and stir in the milk. The soup should be thick and creamy. Add the lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with parsley.
savory amaranth and turkey porridgehalim-e shir
This hearty winter breakfast soup is the Persian equivalent of congee, the comforting Asian rice porridge that features toppings as varied as peanuts, chiles, and crisp fried garlic. In this recipe, the traditional cracked wheat is replaced by the nutty New World grain amaranth, which blends naturally with the turkey and cinnamon that lends the porridge its festive flavor. This savory dish is a tasty and unexpected way to use leftover
Thanksgiving turkey, too. Soak the amaranth overnight for quicker cooking, and stir often to prevent this delicate grain from sticking.
Thanksgiving turkey, too. Soak the amaranth overnight for quicker cooking, and stir often to prevent this delicate grain from sticking.
serves 4 to 61½ cups amaranth
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
4 cups water
1 cup milk, any kind
3 tablespoons butter or unrefined coconut oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Maple or date sugar, for garnish
Combine the amaranth, turkey, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the amaranth is very soft.
Turn off the heat and stir in the milk, butter, and salt. Ladle the porridge into bowls for serving. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, cinnamon, and maple sugar.
Vegetarian OptionOmit the turkey or replace it with an equivalent amount of cooked aduki beans or pinto beans.
cleansing spring nettle soupIn the lush northern province of Mazandaran between the Caspian Sea and the snowy Alborz Mountains, nettles are so profuse that there is even a town, Gazaneh, named for the prickly plant. Nettles, widely considered a blood tonic and a cure for hay fever, make for a nourishing and cleansing spring soup with a rich herbal flavor that’s especially popular during
Norooz
(Persian New Year). My very light and brothy take on nettle soup calls for boiling the nettles in 10 cups of water, but I’d suggest adding a bit more, because the cooking water—also called nettle tea—makes a tasty, healthful tonic on its own. Remember that raw nettles sting, so protect your hands with sturdy rubber gloves until after they’ve been boiled, when the stingers have melted away. If you can’t find nettles, spinach makes an excellent stand-in.
Norooz
(Persian New Year). My very light and brothy take on nettle soup calls for boiling the nettles in 10 cups of water, but I’d suggest adding a bit more, because the cooking water—also called nettle tea—makes a tasty, healthful tonic on its own. Remember that raw nettles sting, so protect your hands with sturdy rubber gloves until after they’ve been boiled, when the stingers have melted away. If you can’t find nettles, spinach makes an excellent stand-in.
serves 6Other books
Road To Whatever (Perfect For Me Book 1) by Blue Saffire
Return to Sullivans Island by Dorothea Benton Frank
The Parting Glass by Emilie Richards
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Aliens In The Family by Margaret Mahy
The City by Gemmell, Stella
Jack James and the Call of the Tanakee by J. Joseph Wright
Rotter World by Scott R. Baker
Primal by Leigh, Lora
Bad Girls Don't by Cathie Linz