In this recipe the sauce is very important because it makes the chicken moist and gives a sour kick, that transform the “not-so-tasty” chicken breast into a flavorful dish. The origin of this recipe is northern Iran.

Ingredients | 2-3 servings

• 1 Chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 2 Eggs
• 1 onion
• a pinch of saffron
• 4-5 Clarified butter
• 1 Lemon
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• Aromatic herbs: roasemary, sage etc.
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and black pepper (to taste)

Video Recipe

Preparation

– Cook the chicken breast, in a pot with 1 cup of water, salt, pepper & aromatic herbs for ⏳ 1 hour.

– In a pan, sauté chopped onion, when golden, add salt, pepper, and turmeric, stir for some more seconds and the onion base is ready.

– Saffron water: pour hot boiling water in a small glass with a pinch of ground saffron. after ⏳ 5 mins it’s ready to use.

– Red sauce: In a pan stir the tomato paste/concentrate, add half a cup of water when the sauce becomes thick add the juice of a whole lime, stir and it’s done.

In a bowl:

– Split the chicken breast in chunks by hand (to maintain its texture), add saffron water, stir fry onions, salt, pepper, and 2 eggs.

– Mix all together (feel free to use a masher to make it like a rough paste).

– In a pan pour generously clarified butter/oil (on medium heat), add the chicken mix. 

– Cover with the lid, cook for 10 mins, until eggs solidify, then remove the lid for 5 mins until sizzling.

– Divide kuku into 4 pieces and turn them over.

– Add more clarified butter/oil and cook the other side for ⏳ 10 minutes or till it becomes golden.

– Pour tomato sauce.

– Wait a few minutes so kuku absorbs the sauce, flip the kuku once again so the other side also absorbs the sauce.

When no more sauce is left in pan, the chicken kuku is ready!

Notes

• This recipe is great for antipasto, wraps and sandwiches.
• Chicken kuku if combines with grilled veggies or fresh salads, can be a treat for low carb diet.
• Traditionally it’s served with pickled garlics and yogurt with bread.

Noosh-e-jan & enjoy! ☺️

The post Chicken kuku or kuku morgh appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Ingredients

• 400g/14.1oz of Milk
• 4 egg Yolks
• 20g/0.7oz Cornstarch
• 100g/3.5oz Sugar
• pinch of Salt
• pinch of Vanilla
• Lemon Peel

Preparation

– Put lemon peel in milk and heat, just at the simmering point. (don’t boil)

In a bowl add:

– Egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, vanilla & sugar. whisk till you have a creamy consistency.

– Pour in 1 ladle of the warm milk and mix. Be careful the milk shouldn’t be very hot because it can cook the eggs.

➡️ Meanwhile, put a wide bowl in the freezer. (which we’ll put the cream later)

– Pour back the mixture into the milk pot and set the stove on the medium heat.

– Mix it continuously with a spatula.

➡️ When the cream starts to get dense, it’s time to remove it from the heat.

– Pour the hot cream in freezing bowl & whisk lively.

According to the Italian pastry master Iginio Massari: this technique helps you to have a shiny custard.

– When the cream isn’t hot anymore ⏳Cover it with a foil, and put it in the fridge (3 hours)

When it’s completely cold, the Italian custard is ready.

It can be used as filling for bignè, croissants, mille-feuille or simply with berries ☺️

Enjoy!

The post Italian Custard – Crema Pasticcera appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Mirza Ghasemi is a typical dish of north Iran. It’s eaten either with bread or rice.

Ingredients | 2-3 servings

• 5 long Eggplants
• 5 medium Tomatoes
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 3-4 Clarified Butter
• 3 Eggs

Preparation

– Put the eggplants on grilling pan burn their skin.

– Place them in the oven and cook ⏳ 40 mins on 200C°/390F°.

– While they are warm, cover them with a foil, wait for 1 hour, so they gain the smoky flavor of burned skin.

– Peel and then mash the eggplants.

Preparing tomatoes

– Put them in boiling water for ⏳1 minute then remove them in a bowl with ice-cold water.

– This thermic shock will help us to Peel them.

– Remove also the seeds, they can cause allergic reactions in some people.

– Cut them into small pieces

Cooking Mirza Ghasemi

– In a pan grate garlic, add turmeric, stir fry for some seconds.

➡️ At first the aroma of garlic may seems to be very intense, but in the end it will taste much milder.

– Add tomatoes, salt & black pepper, continue to cook and stir to have a dense red sauce.

– Add the mashed eggplants.

– Stir fry all together for other 20 mins taste the seasoning it should be slightly salty.

– Add the eggs, cook halfway, then start to stir. You should feel the egg pieces in your mouth.

The Mirza Ghasemi is ready!

Notes

• It is served with bread or simple white rice.
• As the accompaniments, they are served with fresh herbs (سبزی خوردن), pickled garlic (سیر ترشی), and parvardeh olives which are with walnut & pomegranate paste (زیتون پرورده)

Noosh-e-jan ☺️

The post Mirza Ghasemi, smocked eggplants with garlic and tomatoes appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Instead of broccoli you can use any other veggie, fried onions and zucchini are another tasty variation of this recipe. Since the taste of some of the ingredients is bland, using a strong flavor cheese can make it much interesting ☺️

Ingredients

• 500g/17.5oz frozen broccoli (or fresh if you have)
• 200g/7oz Pancetta
• 20g/0.8oz cream
• 100g/4oz Mozzarella
• 4 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• Half of a Chilly
• 160g/5.6 Provolone or Cheddar cheese
• 1 clove of Garlic

Preparation

– Chop the pancetta in small piece.

– Sauté garlic with chilly, turmeric then add pancetta.

– Stir fry till the fat of pancetta melts.

– Add the broccoli and continue to cook for other 10-15 minutes.

– In a jar mix eggs, cream, salt and pepper.

– Cut the provolone cheese into cubes

In muffin mold:

– First goes mix of broccoli, followed by some cubes of provolone.

– Pour the mix of eggs on each muffin cup.

– Put pieces of mozzarella on top.

– Place the muffins in the oven for 15mins on 180°C (356°F) the last 4 mins better to be on grill to have a crust on top.

They are great with salads and pickles.

Buon appetite

The post Broccoli Muffins appeared first on Foodcraftz.

In many Iranian restaurants, it is served as an appetizer. Kuku is like Italian frittata, the only difference is, it has fewer eggs.

Ingredients | 3-4 servings

• 300g/10oz chopped Coriander
• 300g/10oz chopped Leek or Chives
• 200g/7oz chopped Dill
• 200g/7oz chopped Parsley
• 4-5 Eggs
• 1 clove of Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt
• Black Pepper to taste
• Ghee or oil
• Optional: 2 tbsp Zereshk

Preparation

– Chop all herbs.

– In a big bowl add herbs, grated garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper, eggs.

Optional: you can add zereshk (barberries) at this point.

– Pour a generous amount of oil or clarified butter into the pan and set the stove on medium heat.

– Add the mix to the pan & make it flat with a spatula.

– Cover the pan with lid, and ⏳wait 10 minutes until the eggs starts to cook and kuku becomes solid.

– Remove the lid and wait Kuku sabzi, becomes slightly dry divide into 4 pieces and overturn each piece carefully.

– Pour more oil, so the other part fries and cooks as well. This will take other ⏳8-10 more minutes.

The Kuku of herbs is ready.

Notes

• This can be a low carb dish if you serve it with other veggies or salad.
• It is ideal for sandwiches with pickles.
• Many likes to have Kuku sabzi with lemon on top or plain yogurt, traditionally it’s served with bread or white rice.

Noosh-e-jan ☺️

The post Kuku sabzi Persian frittata of herbs appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Ingredients | 2 servings

• 350g/12.3oz Spinach
• 1 onion
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 3-4 tbsp Extra virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper

Preparation

– Chop the onion.

– Stir fry with turmeric, salt, and pepper.

– Add the spinach and sauté, till they starts to lose water.

– Make 3 holes in the pan.

– Add eggs in them.

– Wait till the eggs are half cooked before mixing.

➡️ It’s important to feel the chunks of eggs when you eat Nargesi.

– When the eggs are cooked the Nargesi is ready!

Serve with bread (Like barbari bread) and some drops of lemon and olive oil on top.

Noosh-e-jan (in Farsi: Buon appetite) ☺️

The post Nargesi – spinach & egg sauté appeared first on Foodcraftz.