Kachi in Iranian cuisine is considered to be a sweet cream, like Sholehzard or Halva however the Kachi Zavareh is a main course perfect for cold seasons. A common food of central Iran, with polenta, onions, and kashk.
Like Italian polenta, it is made of cornflour (photo) which is white and has a rough texture. There are different variations of toppings for Kachi. From the modest version: stir fry onions, spices, and loads of animal fat to the more “sophisticated” one with meat (this recipe)
The way of serving:
The polenta is served in a circled flat tray. In the middle, they create a whole for topping which is called the “fortress” (قلعه). First, goes kashk (a Cream made of sheep’s yogurt which is very salty) followed by the stew of meat, mint oil, and fried garlic & onion.
The family gathers, sitting on sofreh (traditionally on the ground) around the big tray, when the Kachi slightly, cools down it becomes dense, each person, skillfully with fingers gets a bit of Kachi and dip halfway in the fortress to get savory. They start eating from the edges and proceed to the center. It’s fun!
Ingredients | 4-5 servings
- 300g/10.5oz Polenta flour/cornflour (preferably white)
- 1.2L Water
- 700g/24.6oz sliced Meat (better be lamb)
- 300g/10.5oz Kashk/Sheep yogurt
- 2tbsp dried Mint
- 5tbsp Clarified Butter or Animal Fat
- 2-3 Chopped Onion
- 1tsp Turmeric
- a pinch of Nutmeg
- 3-4 Garlic (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil (for Mint oil)
Directions
Preparing the topping: meat stew
– Stir fry the chopped onions, in clarified butter/animal fat/oil when they become translucent add meat. Stir fry for 10 minutes more, so the meat starts to lose water.
– Add turmeric, nutmeg, and salt. Mix all ingredients and cover with lid. Cook on low heat for ⏳ 1.5 hours.
Preparing the topping: yogurt cream/kashk
– If you have fresh Kashk: mix it with a bit of water to dilute and have a dense cream
– If you got plain yogurt: add 1 tbsp of salt and 1-2tbsp of water if it is too dense. The final result should be a salty dense yogurt cream.
Cooking kachi/polenta
– In a non-stick pot bring water to boil add 1 tsp or salt
– sprinkle -while stirring- the flour gently. Whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
– When kachi starts to thicken, reduce the heat and cover with lid. Cook for ⏳ 1 hour. Stir occasionally to avoid the kachi/polenta sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Mint oil and fried garlic
– Pour a bit of oil (I used extra virgin olive oil) in a small pan, on medium heat, wait till the oil becomes slightly hot, turn off the heat, sprinkle dried mint in it while you are crushing the leaf between your fingers, it’s done! (the mint shouldn’t burn, they are very delicate)
– Fry the garlic slices and onion strips (like chips) and put them aside for topping.
Serving
– Since the traditional version is on a flat tray and I didn’t have that at home, I used a baking mold (for tarts) to serve. Pour in the polenta (while it’s still hot and easy to shape) and, try to create a wide whole in the middle. I placed a clean glass in the middle 🙂
– In the whole, first goes a generous amount of kashk/salty yogurt cream, then add the stew.
Topped with mint oil and fried garlic and onions And the Kachi is ready to serve!
Notes
- Zavareh is a city in the desert, in Isfahan province.
- Kachi is considered to be so nutritious that usually, is cooked for the women after labour or during their period to give them more energy.
- (for decoration) The Kashk or Yogurt should be like a dense cream to create a better circle, in mine, it was a bit thin. :-/
Noosh e jan (Buon appetite)