Some people cook it in pyrex and in the oven. This way it’s easier to check the color and decide when it’s done. This recipe is with old fashion non stick pot.

Ingredients | 4 servings

• 2 Eggs
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• 4-5 tbsp Oil of your choice/Clarified butter
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp Saffron
• 400g/14.2oz Rice (Basmati, Thai or Jasmin)

Nice to have:

• Non-stick pot

Preparation

Making saffron cream:

– In a big bowl (later some rice will goes in) add saffron and pour 2 tbsp of hot boiling water and wait for ⏳ 5 minutes.

– Add yogurt, eggs, a pinch of salt and 3 tbsp of oil/clarified butter. Mix till you have a yellow homogenous cream.

Preparation of rice

– Wash the rice till the color of the water, is no longer opaque.

– In a big pot boil water and add salt.

– Add the rice to the salty boiling water and wait till the rice grows in size and floats.

– Drain the rice, don’t rinse! (to maintain its taste and salt)

Preparation of final pot

– Mix 1/3 of rice with saffron cream.

– Pour in 3-4 tbsp of oil/Clarified butter to a non-stick pot on the stove, make sure it coats the bottom of the pot.

– Add the mix of rice and saffron and gently spread with a spatula to have an even surface.

– Add the rest of the white rice on top.

– Pour a bit of oil/butter on its surface.

– Cover the lid with a clean kitchen cloth.

➡️ in persian it called “Damkoni” دمکنی. It helps to absorbs the humidity, preventing water to return on the rice and helps the tahchin becomes crunchy.

– Cook on low heat for ⏳ 1 hour at least.

To serve:

➡️ Grip both pot and serving plate together and overturn. The Tahchin detaches from pot to the plate and it’s ready to serve.

Notes:

• Use thick bottom non-stick pot, it distributes the heat evenly, and prevent the rice to burn quickly.
• Greek style yogurt is perfect for Tahchin. It’s fatty and slightly sour.
• Long-grain rice is usually used to make Tahchin: Jasmin, Thai, Basmati, etc.

Noosh e Jan ☺️ (buon appetit!)

The post Simple Tahchin appeared first on Foodcraftz.

This recipe is the most common type of Eshkeneh in Iran but other versions, like the Booshehri (south Iran) with garlic and coriander, the version with the quince or with yogurt and even with mung beans which is from Khorasan etc. are worth to try.

Ingredients | 2 servings

• 1 big Onion (chopped)
• 2 Potatoes (diced)
• 2 Eggs
• 1tsp Turmeric
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Fenugreek leaf (or 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds)
• 2 tsp Salt
• Ghee/clarified butter
• Black pepper
• 5 cups of water (more or less)

Preparation

– On a gentle fire, stir fry for ⏳ 10 – 15 minutes chopped onions until golden.

– Add turmeric, flour, fenugreek, salt, and black pepper. Stir for some more seconds

– Add potatoes and hot water that completely covers 1 cm above the ingredients. Simmer for ⏳ 20 minutes.

– Add eggs and gently mix the soup while they are spreading. Cook for another ⏳ 2-3 mins and the Eshkeneh is ready.

Notes

• Instead of flour, you can use corn starch/potato starch for a gluten-free version
• Eshkene is a quick dish if the potato’s cut are small.
• The more the base of onion cooks it taste becomes better
• Fenugreek leaves can be found in Iranian supermarkets or online. In case you don’t have the fenugreek leaf, use the seeds in a smaller portion because they are bitter
• Usually it’s one egg per diner

Eshkeneh is served with bread.

Noosh e jan (buon appetite)

The post Eshkeneh, quick Persian soup with onion base appeared first on Foodcraftz.

p.s. I’m not sure how kids react to Lubia polo. It took me 20 years to change my mind! :))

Ingredients | 3-4 servings

• 450g/16oz green Beans
• 300g /10oz chopped Meat
• 1 big Onion
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 400g/14.1oz Basmati rice
• 3 big Tomatoes – chopped
• 1-2 tbsp Tomato paste
• a pinch of Nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Clarified butter
• Salt and Black pepper

Preparation

– Cut green beans in small chunks stir fry in a pan until their color is no longer bright green. Transfer the green beans to a bowl.

– Dice the onion and in the same pan you’ve cooked the green beans, stir fry the onions.

– When they become translucent add the turmeric, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir for some more seconds.

– Add meat, when it changes its color and releases the juice, add the tomato paste and the chopped tomatoes.

– Cover the pot with the lid ⏳ Cook for 20 mins on medium heat (add half cup of water if it’s too dry). The meat should cook completely.

[ ➡️ Meanwhile… prepare boiling water for white rice ]

– Add the green beans to the stew followed by cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook all together for another ⏳ 5 minutes and turn off the heat.

Preparing rice:

– Wash the rice until the color of the water is no longer opaque. Add salt to the boiling water (just the way you do for pasta).

– Add rice and wait till the water boils again.

– When the rice is doubled in size and starts to float on the surface of water it’s time to drain. (Do not rinse because we don’t want to lose the salt and aroma of rice)

Ensemble!

– In a nonstick pot with a thick bottom (to spread the heat evenly), add a layer of rice (2 cm/1inch) followed by a layer of green beans stew

➡️ Continue till both ingredients are finished.

– Place the pot on low heat, gently create holes in the mix with the bottom of a wooden spoon so the humidity comes out.

– Cover the lid with a clean kitchen cloth to absorb humidity.

Cook for 1 hour and it’s ready!

Notes

• (optional) I’ve peeled the fresh tomatoes and removed the seeds
• Using frozen green beans makes the cooking process quicker
• Serve lubia polo with Shirazi salad and yogurt.

Noosh e Jan (buon appetite! ☺️)

The post Green beans rice – Lubia polo appeared first on Foodcraftz.

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.

For Fesenjan you are free to use any type of meat, either chicken or meatballs the choice is yours. Traditionally in north Iran, where this stew comes from, they use wild poultry meat like goose, duck, quail etc.

In case you can’t find Pomegranate concentrate also the Pomegranate molasses is fine. The elegant and sophisticated taste of Fesenjan, makes it the stew of celebrations and formal occasions. That’s why, in this recipe, we opted for duck’s breast to maintain the level of sophistication.

This stew is served with rice

Ingredients | 2-3 servings

• 170g/6oz Walnuts
• 2 tbsp Pomegranate concentrate/pomegranate molasses (adjustable to taste)
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 Onion
• 1 Duck big breast (or chicken or 300g/10oz meatballs*)

➡️ Here is the recipe for basmati rice to prepare which will be served with Fesenjoon.

Preparation

– Blend walnuts, to form a paste.

– In a pot, stir the walnuts on medium heat gently, for around ⏳ 15 minutes. Their color becomes darker.

– Grate half onion, add turmeric, salt, and pepper stir to combine all ingredients.

– Add the duck breast (you can either add chicken or sautéed meatballs*) and the other half onion to the pot.

– Pour cold water till it covers all ingredients.

➡️ Water should be very cold, you can even add 1 cube of ice too. This thermic shock helps the walnuts to release more Natural oil to the stew.

– Stir gently and bring the stew to a simmer.

– Add the Pomegranate concentrate or molasses and stir.

⏳ On medium-low heat, cook for ⏳ 1.5 hours.

– Stir occasionally to avoid Fesenjoon sticks to the bottom of the pot.

When the stew has a dense consistency with a thick layer of oil on top and its taste has a good balance between sweet & sour, the Fesenjan is ready!

Notes

• Fesenjoon/Fesenjan is served with saffron rice, a mix of fresh herbs aside, raw onions, white yogurt.
• The taste of Fesenjan depends on the concentration of Pomegranate, if it’s from north Iran they are sour. If it’s from central Iran it’s sweet. Feel free to adjust the sweetness if you prefer by adding a bit of sugar.

Noosh-e-jan (in farsi: buon appetite) ☺️

*How to prepare the meatballs: combine minced meat (lamb or veal), salt, black pepper, and half of a grated onion. From this sticky mixture create small balls (dimensions like a walnut), sauté on high heat to have grilled surface, add them to the Fesenjan. ⏳ The time of cooking will not be less, because the focus is on the taste of pomegranate sauce that should be mature.

The post Fesenjan, the stew of pomegranate and walnuts appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Check out the: recipe of risotto alla milanese

Ingredients | 2 servings

• 2 veal cut of ossobucos
• Sage & Rosemary & Garlic
• 1 cup Italian soffritto veggies (carrot, celery, and onion)
• 2-3 tbsp of Wheat flour (for coating the meat)
• 1/2 cup White wine
• 1/2 cup Tomato puree/passata
• 1 knob of butter
• Extravirgin Olive Oil
• Chopped Parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Ingredients for risotto

• 150g/5.2oz Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 2 knobs of Butter
• 50g grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup white Wine
• 300g/10.5oz Broth
• half Onion (grated)
• a pinch of Saffron

Preparation

Choose a thick pot like a dutch oven to cook ossobuco.

– Sauté aromatic herbs in a bit of olive oil and butter.

– Coat the meat in flour.

– Cut vertically the skin around meat 3-4 cuts per each (it facilitates the cooking process and meat stays flat)

– Place the meat in the hot pot, fry till the surface becomes golden.

– Pour in, wine. Wait till it evaporates.

– Add the Italian soffritto (diced: carrot, celery & onion) veggies and stir fry.

– Add the tomato puree/passata

– Mix the ingredients & pour in water (2-3 cups), cook for 2 hours on low heat.

➡️ Some use vegetable broth for more taste but since we are using Italian soffritto and big pieces of meat at the end of cooking, the taste will be great without any added broth.

– Stir once in a while, to avoid it sticks to the bottom

After 2 hours the ossobuco will be ready!

start to cook the saffron risotto 20mins before the ossobuco finishes cooking.

A quick recipe for Saffron Risotto:

⒈ In a small cup pour boiling water on a pinch of ground saffron. put it aside. ⒉ Grate half of onion in a pan, ⒊ Add risotto rice and toast it, ⒋ Add wine, when evaporates, ⒌ Pour in meat broth gradually and while the rice is absorbing stir continuously, ⒍ After 14-16 mins depends on how you like the risotto “al dente” 7. Pour in saffron water, stir for 1 minute then 7. Turn off the heat 8. Add parmesan cheese & butter and do “mantecazione” (mix lively) so you’ll have a creamy risotto. (see the step by step recipe of risotto)

Ossobuco is ready to be served

Notes

• Many restaurants in Milan, serve the ossobuco beside the risotto, but I suggest to place the ossobuco on a “bed” of risotto so all the flavors from meat goes in the risotto.
• Osso means bone and buco means hole. That’s why the bone marrow should be visible in the dish.

Spread the creamy risotto layer as a base.

Place the juicy ossobuco on top.

Buon appetito ☺️

The post Ossobuco with Saffron Risotto or Milanese risotto appeared first on Foodcraftz.

Some “gourmet” restaurants serve this with cooked & juicy bonemarrow in the middle and some with the reduction of the meat broth like a sauce on top, if you go to the famous restaurant of chef Marchesi in Milan, you can taste his signature dish: risotto with golden leaf (another variation of this risotto)

Ingredients | 3 servings

• 300g/10.5oz Carnaroli rice
• 4 knobs of butter
• pinch of ground saffron
• 60g/2.1oz grated Grano Padano cheese or parmesan
• 1L meat Broth
• half of onion
• 1/2 glass of white wine

Preparation

Saffron water: pour boiling water on ground saffron (0.5g circa) in a small glass. Let it rest for 10-15 mins.

– Sauté the grated onion with butter in a hot pan for 1 min.

– Sprinkle a bit of salt (not much because meat broth & cheese are salty)

– Add rice and toast: stir them in the hot pan, till the rice becomes slightly translucent, the pan should be dry and hot.

– Give it a thermic shock by pouring the white wine.

– Continue to stir till the wine evaporates & the starch starts to be released.

– The meat broth should be warm, add 2-3 ladles of broth and continue to stir till the broth is absorbed.

– If you like the risotto to be “al dente” continue to add broth for the next 14-15 mins.

➡️ If you’re not a fan of al dente: continue to add the broth and taste the rice till they are softer.

– In case the broth finishes earlier, add boiling water to complete cooking the risotto.

– 1 minute before Turn off the heat, pour the saffron water and stir.

➡️ Don’t worry if you see the risotto’s consistency is runny, it should be because Rice absorbs quickly and to have a creamy result we have to give it humidity.

– Add 3 knobs of butter & cheese together.

– Mix lively, some chefs even waving the rice in the pan to “mix” them (they believe this way, “more air” goes inside the risotto!).

Now you should have a silky & creamy risotto.

When serving, you’ll notice the rice becomes slightly denser on the plate.

You can serve this as it is or with a cheese cracker* in the middle. One of the classic dishes of Milan is the saffron risotto with Ossobuco. so if you have prepared the meat it can goes on top.

Buon appetito! ☺️

*cheese crackers: in a non-stick pan, sprinkle in form of circles the grated cheese, when it melts wait till it starts to change its color to yellow/brownish remove them with a spatula and while it’s soft (and warm), bend it on a cool surface like a small glass. When it’s cold the cracker is ready!

The post Risotto alla Milanese – Risotto with Saffron appeared first on Foodcraftz.

What is Zereshk? It’s Barberry.

It is a type of berry that grows in arid mountain areas up to 2000m/6561f of height. A vitamin-C-rich fruit which is sour, that’s why it’s a great match with greasy food because it balances the flavors and in general Persian food has a penchant for sourness.

In case you don’t have Zereshk, replace it with one of these berries:

• Ribes/currant
• Raspberries

Ingredients | 2-3 servings

• 3-4 Chicken thighs & legs
• 1tbsp Tomato paste
• A handful of dried Zereshk/Barberries
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 white Onion
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Clarified butter
• Slices of Almonds (optional)
• 1 spring of Rosemary (optional)

While cooking the chicken, start cooking the Persian rice. Here is the recipe of white rice.

Preparation

– In a big pot add clarified butter (or the oil of your choice), followed by chicken tights.

– Stir fry the chicken until browning.

– Add onion, turmeric, salt, pepper.

– Add 1 cup of boiling water and set the heat to low.

– Cover with the lid and cook for ⏳ 40 mins.

– In a small pan stir fry tomato paste to have a more vivid red color (Optional).

– Add the tomato paste to chickens.

– Cook for another ⏳ 30 minutes.

Preparation of Zereshk/Berries:

– Wash the Zereshk using a sieve.

– In a pan add: oil + Zereshk + 1tsp sugar + a bit of ground saffron and salt. Stir fry for ⏳ 1 minute.

– Add 2-3 tbsp of cooked rice and almonds (optional), mix them well.

– The topping for the rice is ready.

Back to the chicken pot:

After cooking zeresh polo for an hour, the chicken becomes tender and gains the red color of tomato paste, that is when it is ready, check the seasoning before serving.

Notes

• Some people like to eat this dish with sides like white greek yogurt, raw onions & fresh herbs (سبزی خوردن).
• If you like less red chicken feel free to add less tomato paste, in many restaurants, this dish doesn’t have an intense red color and it’s less sour.

Serve it with basmati rice, zereshk & saffron rice on top and the chickens aside.

Noosh-e-jan (buon appetito) ☺️

The post Zereshk Polo Morgh or Barberry Rice Chicken appeared first on Foodcraftz.

The name of pasta all’Amatriciana comes from Amatrice which is a city in the center of Italy in Lazio region.

Ingredients | 2 servings

• 240g/8.4oz Spaghetti
• 100g/3.5oz Pancetta or Guanciale strips 3m thick
• chopped Cherry Tomatoes
• 30g/1oz Finely grated Pecorino cheese
• 1/3 glass of white Wine
• extra-virgin Olive oil
• ground Black pepper

Preparation

– Chop the pancetta into small pieces.

– In a hot pan pour some drops of olive oil and saute the pancetta with black pepper.

– Once the pancetta’s fat starts to melt, add white wine and stir until it evaporates.

– Add the chopped cherry tomatoes.

Meanwhile prepare the pasta:

– Add the pasta to the salty boiling water (stir to keep the pasta from sticking).

– Remove pasta 2-3 mins prior to its cooking time to the pan.

– Save a cup of pasta water for later.

– Toss all together, stir pasta while it absorbs the flavor of the tomatoes and pancetta. If it’s too dry add pasta water.

– Turn off the heat and serve with a bit of pecorino cheese on top.

Notes

• If the pan is too dry & the pasta is so “al dente”, and to have a creamy pasta it’s important to add pasta water to the pan.
• You may skip pouring olive oil, just add the pancetta to the pan on low heat at first 10 minutes its grease starts to melt.
• Pecorino is one of the famous cheeses of the Lazio region. But it’s very salty, by adding less salt to the pasta water we can avoid having a too salty pasta.

Buon appetito! ☺️

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