Fish: Traditionally the white meat fishes are used for this recipe like the Caspian sea fishes: Mullet (کفال), Whitefish (ماهی سفید), Trout (قزل‌آلا), but almost any kind of fish (salmon, mackerel, sea bass, …) taste great with Sabzi polo.

In this recipe I used Common Dentex (Dentice in Italian) because that was the freshest fish I could find in the fish market.

Ingredients | 4-5 servings

• 1 Fish fillet per person
• 500g/17.6oz Basmati rice
• 1 clove of Garlic
• 2 knobs of Butter
• 60g/2.1oz chopped Dill
• 60g/2.1oz Coriander
• 60g/2.1oz chopped Parsley
• 100g/3.5oz chopped Chives or Leek
• Saffron
• Pickled Garlic as accompaniment (optional)

Preparation

– Herbs: combine all the chopped herbs together (dill, coriander, parsley, chives).

– Grate a clove of garlic and mix.

– Wash the rice till it’s the color of water is longer opaque.

– Add the rice to salty & boiling water (just like pasta).

– When it boils and the rice doubles in size and float on the surface, it’s ready.

– Drain the rice (don’t rinse to maintain the salt and aroma of rice).

– Add the mix of chopped herbs and mix all together gently.

– In a small glass pour hot boiling water.

– Add a pinch of ground saffron and a knob of butter and mix till butter melts completely and saffron gives its color to the mix.

Combine all together

– On medium-high heat, place a non-stick pot.

– Add the mix of saffron & butter (for a good saffron tahdig).

– Followed by mix of rice & herbs.

– Put the lid on, wait a few minutes, until it starts to sweat.

– Set the heat to lowest. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen cloth = damkoni, (it absorbs the humidity and helps to have a better tahdig).

– Cook for ⏳ 1 hour.

Preparation of Fish

– Clean and debone the fish fillets.

– Make some cuts on the skin, sprinkle salt and pepper.

– Place the fish on the hot pan with clarified butter/oil.

– First from the meat side when it becomes golden turn over to the other side until it gains the same color and preferably the skin gets crunchy.

– When the skin becomes crunchy it’s ready to serve.

Serving

– Overturn the pot of rice on a big flat plate (finger’s crossed you’ll have good Tahdig!).

– Decorate the sabzi polo with a bit of saffron rice.

– Bring fish and rice to the serving table in two separate plates so each diner can take the amount she/he wants to eat.

Notes

• Some cook the fish in the oven with herbs, garlic and lemon. In this case the skin of the fish doesn’t become crunchy and usually is removed.
• The best accompaniment for sabzi polo mahi is: pickled garlic, which is a typical delicacy of north Iran

Noosh-e-Jan & happy Nowrooz ☺️

The post Sabzi polo mahi – rice with herbs and fish recipe appeared first on Foodcraftz.

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.

There are many variations of Adas polo عدس پلو ( = Lentils Rice) this is a vegetarian recipe.

This recipe is with saffron tahdig.

Ingredients | 3-4 servings

• 150g/5.2oz Lentils
• 1 Onion
• 350g/12.3oz Basmati rice
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 knobs of Butter
• Clarified Butter
• Pinch of Saffron

For topping

• 3-4 chopped Dates
• a handful of Sultanas (raisins)

Video Recipe:

Preparation

– Cook the lentils in a pot with water and salt for ⏳ 30 minutes.

➡️ The lentils should maintain their shape (be careful to not overcook)

– Make saffron water: In 1/3 cup, add a pinch of ground saffron, pour hot boiling water, wait for 5 mins, when saffron gives its full color to water and becomes red it’s ready.

– dice an onion.

– In a pan, add clarified butter and fry them.

– Add turmeric and salt and the cooked lentils followed by cinnamon.

– Stir fry for some minutes, then turn off the heat.

– Pour half of saffron water to the mix of lentiles.

Making rice & combine with lentils:

– Wash the rice.

– In a big pot, boil salted water and add the rice to it (just like pasta).

⏳ When water starts to boil, and the rice grows in size and floats on the surface, drain the rice (do not rinse)

Final pot

– Place a non-stick pot on medium heat.

– Pour half cup of boiling water and clarified butter with the rest of the saffron water.

– Add the layers: first goes a layer of rice (for a good tahdig), followed by a layer of lentils. Continue, till all the ingredients are finished.

➡️ The heat should be on medium for the first ⏳ 5 minutes.

– With the bottom of a spoon make deep holes in the lentils rice.

– Melt 2 knobs of butter in a cup of salty boiling water.

– Pour it over the pot.

– Cover the pot with the lid and a clean kitchen cloth (= damkoni) to absorb the humidity.

– Cook on low heat, for ⏳1 hour and it’s done.

Toppings

– Fry the chunks of dates for 2 minutes on medium heat.

– Next add sultanas raisins (they are softer and burn quicker).

– Stir fry for a minute all ingredients and they are ready.

Notes

• Some people like it without the sweet topping so sometimes the topping comes aside from the platter (as you see in the photo it’s not my case! lol)
• For the meaty version: stir 150g/5oz of minced meat with turmeric and chopped onion. Add the meat layer alongside others to the pot.
• Serve Adas polo with pickles, Shirazi salad, and white yogurt.

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

The post Lentils with Rice – Adas Polo Recipe appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Khoresh bademjan is served with white rice (Kateh style or Traditional style). The rice is cooked alongside the stew.

A popular variant of this recipe called: Gheimeh bademjian which is with the split chickpeas . It gives a richer structure to the stew, I put that optional because it’s not the main ingredient.

Ingredients | 4 servings

• 2 kilos/4.4oz Eggplants
• 400g/14oz Lamb or Veal
• 2 Onions
• 2-3 limu amani or 2tbsp ghooreh or half cup of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 2tbsp Tomato paste
• 4 big Fresh Tomatoes
• Clarified butter
• Salt and Black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp Split Chickpeas (optional)

Preparation

– Peel the eggplants and cut them in half.

– Add a generous amount of salt and leave them in a sieve for ⏳ 2 hours so they lose water.

Then you can cook the eggplants either:

• Frying (Traditional way): the eggplant in a big pan.
• In the Oven (None traditional): Coat them with oil and put them in the oven for ⏳ 1 hour at 180C°/350F°.

– In both cases: The eggplant cooks and gain a dark brown color.

Cooking the meat

– In a pot place the meat and add one onion, turmeric, 2 cups of water, salt, and pepper.

– Cook for⏳ 2 hours.

No need to chop the meat in smaller size, because in the end, it will be so tender that it divides with a spoon.

➡️ Meanwhile cook the rice so it will be ready when the stew is cooked.

➡️Prepare the sour ingredient: Place the limoo amani in a glass and pour hot boiling water on it after 1 hour they become soft. Create wholes on its skin and add them later to the final pot. If you have ghooreh (sour grapes) or you have lemon juice, you can add it directly to the final pot.

The final pot

– In a big pot, stir fry chopped onion.

– When it turns golden brown add turmeric, salt, pepper, tomatoes paste, and 2 fresh tomatoes cut in half. Stir fry for some minutes.

– Add the cooked meat & its juice (remove the onion, it helps to absorb the smell of the meat).

– Add the split chickpeas (optional).

– On top of them place fried eggplants so they soak in the meats juice.

– On the eggplants goes: the other pieces of fresh tomatoes.

– On low heat, Cook for at least ⏳ 1 hour without stirring!

Be careful with the shape of eggplants: This is challenging, especially when you want to adjust the salt but if you stir gently without mashing the eggplants it will be ok.

The main characteristic of the Khoresh Bademjan stew, visually is, the form and shape of eggplants. They should be maintained intact until you serve them. This is how you show your guest a flawless eggplant stew! This will be very challenging because they become very soft at the end of cooking.

When the stew is dense, and the flavors are well combined, the eggplant stew is ready!

Serve the stew with rice.

Notes

• To cook the meat, if you use a pressure cooker the cooking process will be much quicker.
• This dish is usually served with raw onions (not very socially accepted), fresh herbs, pickles, plain yogurt, and salad. The usual Persian mazzes مزه / چاشنی on the table

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

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