Read The New Persian Kitchen Online
Authors: Louisa Shafia
The New Persian Kitchen (8 page)
This luminous fuchsia yogurt is traditionally made with cooked beets, but we’ll save a step: the raw beets called for here will soften and mellow in the acid of the yogurt, especially if allowed to marinate for an hour before serving. A grater attachment on your food processor will make this recipe even easier, and will save your hands from staining. The natural oils in your skin will awaken the flavor of the dried mint, so rub it between your palms as you add it to the yogurt. (
See photo
.)
See photo
.)
serves 6½ clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red beet, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
Sea salt
2 cups thick Greek-style yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the mint, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the beets, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.
Fold in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let rest for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours, in the refrigerator. Transfer to a serving bowl. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the yogurt and scatter the remaining 1 teaspoon mint over the top, and serve.
yogurt with shallotsmast-o musir
If you’ve ever gone to town on a bowl of sour cream and onion dip, this easy-to-make condiment will taste deliciously familiar, but without the additives and extra fat typical of store-bought dips. Serve
mast-o musir
alongside rice to accompany any of the entrées in the book; its versatility complements all kinds of Persian flavors. The dip is infinitely tastier after the yogurt has had time to soften the bitter edge of the shallots, so let it mellow in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
mast-o musir
alongside rice to accompany any of the entrées in the book; its versatility complements all kinds of Persian flavors. The dip is infinitely tastier after the yogurt has had time to soften the bitter edge of the shallots, so let it mellow in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
makes 2 cups2 cups thick Greek-style yogurt
1 small shallot, finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the yogurt and shallot in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.
“problem solver” nut mixajil-e moshkel-gosha
Both making and eating this Silk Road–style trail mix is believed to solve problems and unlock difficulties, and it’s a tradition to present parcels of it to friends and even strangers at
Norooz
(Persian New Year) and other holidays. I first tasted this sweet-and-salty treat at my cousin Mahin’s house.
Norooz
(Persian New Year) and other holidays. I first tasted this sweet-and-salty treat at my cousin Mahin’s house.
Mahin’s version, below, features distinctly Persian ingredients like dried mulberries, roasted chickpeas, and pistachios, which you can find at the markets and online stores listed
in the
Resources
section. But the possibilities are endless; try pumpkin seeds, peanuts, walnuts, popcorn, dates, dried apricots, cherries, goji berries, shaved coconut, or dark chocolate chips, and watch as your problems resolve themselves!
in the
Resources
section. But the possibilities are endless; try pumpkin seeds, peanuts, walnuts, popcorn, dates, dried apricots, cherries, goji berries, shaved coconut, or dark chocolate chips, and watch as your problems resolve themselves!
makes 2 cups½ cup green raisins
¼ cup dried mulberries
¼ cup roasted chickpeas
¼ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts
¼ cup toasted cashews
¼ cup pistachios
Combine all of the ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
passover charosetCharoset, a compote of nuts, fruit, and honey, is typically eaten during Passover. Its dense, syrupy texture is meant to evoke the mortar that Jews labored with when they were enslaved in Egypt. At the Passover Seder, charoset is often paired with the ritual bitter herb, horseradish, and eaten on matzoh in what’s known as a Hillel sandwich, a heavenly fusion of salt and sweet.
makes about 4 cups8 Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 crisp, sweet apples, such as Fuji, finely diced
¾ cup toasted walnuts
¾ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup toasted pistachios
In a large bowl, whisk together the dates, honey, pomegranate molasses, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Add the apples and toss to coat. Pulse the walnuts, almonds, and pistachios in a food processor about 10 times, until very coarsely ground, and combine them with the apples. The charoset can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
One
frosty February Sunday last year, I went to visit my friend Somayeh in her tiny grad student walk-up in West Philly. Over the course of the afternoon, I watched with awe as she produced an elaborate feast of stew, rice with
tahdig
, herbed yogurt, and salad from her Lilliputian kitchen. In the last hour of cooking, she whipped up a humble
Oat and Mushroom Soup
seasoned with turmeric, lime juice, and cream. It was important to her that she make me a proper and complete Persian meal, so leaving out the soup wasn’t an option. Of all the delicious foods she cooked that day, the memory of the gentle, velvety soup that finally restored warmth to my fingertips is what has lingered the longest.
frosty February Sunday last year, I went to visit my friend Somayeh in her tiny grad student walk-up in West Philly. Over the course of the afternoon, I watched with awe as she produced an elaborate feast of stew, rice with
tahdig
, herbed yogurt, and salad from her Lilliputian kitchen. In the last hour of cooking, she whipped up a humble
Oat and Mushroom Soup
seasoned with turmeric, lime juice, and cream. It was important to her that she make me a proper and complete Persian meal, so leaving out the soup wasn’t an option. Of all the delicious foods she cooked that day, the memory of the gentle, velvety soup that finally restored warmth to my fingertips is what has lingered the longest.
The role of soup in Persian food can’t be overstated; indeed, the very word for “cook” is
ash-paz
, literally “soup maker,” and “kitchen” translates as
ash-paz khaneh
, or “the soup maker’s room.” More than a mere course, soup in the Persian kitchen is a symbolic dish that transmits a message—a culinary prayer, if you will—whose ingredients and fragrances form a kind of gastronomic language that’s been spoken by Persians for millennia.
ash-paz
, literally “soup maker,” and “kitchen” translates as
ash-paz khaneh
, or “the soup maker’s room.” More than a mere course, soup in the Persian kitchen is a symbolic dish that transmits a message—a culinary prayer, if you will—whose ingredients and fragrances form a kind of gastronomic language that’s been spoken by Persians for millennia.
For example, there’s “charity soup.” In this tradition, each neighborhood family contributes ingredients and helps prepare the soup according to its means, and then distributes the dish to the entire community, both rich and poor. A “pledge soup,” meanwhile, is made in hopes of healing the sick or
bringing a lost family member back home. If the prayer is answered, the cook pledges to make the soup on every anniversary of the happy occasion. During the
Norooz
(Persian New Year) holiday, and whenever a loved one leaves for a long journey, it’s customary to prepare the noodle soup
ash-e reshteh
(
Bean, Herb, and Noodle Soup
); the long strands of noodles symbolize the winding path of life.
bringing a lost family member back home. If the prayer is answered, the cook pledges to make the soup on every anniversary of the happy occasion. During the
Norooz
(Persian New Year) holiday, and whenever a loved one leaves for a long journey, it’s customary to prepare the noodle soup
ash-e reshteh
(
Bean, Herb, and Noodle Soup
); the long strands of noodles symbolize the winding path of life.
Typically, Persian soups are not light and brothy, but thick with beans, herbs, and grains. Like the Asian rice porridge congee, these hearty soups can be enjoyed at breakfast, or served as a meal on their own at lunch or dinner. Some of the soups in this chapter are quite traditional—like the
Cold Pistachio Soup with Mint and Leeks
,
Pomegranate Soup
, and
Persian “Matzoh Balls” with Chickpeas and Chicken
—while others, like the
Saffron Corn Soup
and
Cleansing Spring Nettle Soup
, are original creations that pay homage to the time-honored Persian soup tradition.
cold pistachio soup with mint and leeksCold Pistachio Soup with Mint and Leeks
,
Pomegranate Soup
, and
Persian “Matzoh Balls” with Chickpeas and Chicken
—while others, like the
Saffron Corn Soup
and
Cleansing Spring Nettle Soup
, are original creations that pay homage to the time-honored Persian soup tradition.
soup-e pesteh
This silky soup is something of a Persian vichyssoise, the storied cold potato
potage
with the French name. Westerners have long perceived French culture as the height of refinement, and Iranians are no different. Quite a few French words have entered the common Persian parlance, such as
merci
(thanks),
valise
(suitcase), and even
gourmet.
(Ironically, vichyssoise was actually invented in America!) Surprisingly rich for a dairy-free dish, this soup can be served warm just after blending, or sipped cold as a refreshing summer starter. The green leek tops give it its bright, grassy color.
potage
with the French name. Westerners have long perceived French culture as the height of refinement, and Iranians are no different. Quite a few French words have entered the common Persian parlance, such as
merci
(thanks),
valise
(suitcase), and even
gourmet.
(Ironically, vichyssoise was actually invented in America!) Surprisingly rich for a dairy-free dish, this soup can be served warm just after blending, or sipped cold as a refreshing summer starter. The green leek tops give it its bright, grassy color.
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