Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Cauliflower Kuku

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh. From Persia to Napa. Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2006 p. 122

I made this dish for a Sunday open house that now appears to have been in the distant past. By that I mean that I served this dish in June. In my defense, I served it at the end of June. I wanted something a little bit different that I could make in advance, and this certainly fit the bill. Much to my surprise, it went over pretty well. People really seemed to like it. Since it can be served warm or cold it makes a great dish for picnics or for parties.

I made a few small changes to the recipe. I doubled it for one thing, since I never know how many people to expect. I increased the garlic, because that's what I do, and I increased the cumin because I simply love cumin. When given the choice between parsley and cilantro I chose cilantro. This is because I really like cilantro and don't much care for parsley. I used soy milk when given the option because that's what we usually keep on hand. I used goat cheese, which was given as an option, but I did not reduce the amount of salt. Most of the diners would have been exercising heavily in extreme heat and would welcome the extra salt.

Cauliflower Kuku (serves 12; approx. $1.47/serving)

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 red onions, thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves, crushed

2 small cauliflower heads, cut into florets

3 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup soy milk

1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Equipment:

• Large skillet or sauté pan
• Large bowl
• Two 9" springform pans, well lubricated

1. Preheat your oven to 400 ̊.
2. Heat the oil in the skillet over low heat.
3. Add the onion. Sauté 5 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add the garlic, cauliflower, salt, spices, serranos and cilantro. Sauté until the cauliflower is softened, 5 – 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
5. Combine the eggs in the bowl with baking powder, flour, soy milk and goat cheese. Whisk to combine well.
6. Add the vegetables. Mix.
7. Pour into the prepared pans.
8. Bake 20 – 25 minutes, until firm. Allow to cool.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Marinated Zucchini

Recipe Source: Butcher, Sally. Persia in Peckham. Prospect Books, Devon, 2007 p. 231

When I made this recipe, I set it out on the table and turned my attention to something else. My husband was hungry, so he helped himself to a small piece of what we'll call "vegetable." You see, cucumbers and dill are two of his favorite flavors, and having them in combination is just his idea of heaven. Unfortunately for him, this was not a cucumber. Once he got over the whole "not-a-cucumber" thing he actually quite liked the dish and had seconds. Still, if you could have seen the look on his face when he bit into the zucchini!

I made some small changes. Mostly I increased the garlic and reduced the oil to accommodate my husband's dislike of oily dishes. I usually chop fresh herbs together – in my head, this helps them mix together better. I don't know if that has any basis in reality or not.

Marinated Zucchini (serves 8; approx. $0.81/serving)

2 pounds zucchini, sliced very thin

10 garlic cloves, crushed

½ bunch dill, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

½ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Equipment:

• Nothing special is required for this recipe.

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. A bowl that has a lid is ideal. Mix well and cover.
2. Let this dish sit at least overnight. I had it keep a good 3 – 4 days with no problem.
3. Serve.

Recipe: Kidney Bean and Lime Braise

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  Silk Road Cooking.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2004 p. 178

This dish took a pretty circuitous route to our table.  I made it as part of my attempt to make healthy dishes ahead of time that could be reheated later.  The problem is, my husband still associates any kind of pulse or legume with fasting dishes to be consumed as a penance during Lent.  As a result, if he knows that the night's dinner is intended to be a legume dish, he will always suggest postponing it and eating out.  That's why this dish actually wound up getting frozen.  I finally thawed it out for one Sunday open house when I thought I might need a vegetarian entree.  I didn't, but I never know. 

Anyway, this is not a pretty dish.  It looks a little murky, and it's not just my photography.  The picture in the book, which is taken by a professional photographer and has the benefit of professional food stylists, looks just as murky.  Fortunately, it tastes much, much better than it looks.  I did make a few small changes.  I increased the garlic, decreased the oil, increased the cilantro, decreased the parsley, used scallions for the leeks, and used ground fenugreek.  The result was actually quite tasty and I highly recommend it. 

Kidney Bean and Lime Braise (serves 4; approx. $2.64/serving)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

10 garlic cloves, crushed

1 serrano chili, finely chopped

2 bunches fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 bunches fresh scallions, finely sliced

2 bunches chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fenugreek

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

4 dried limes, pierced

2/3 cup dried kidney beans, soaked and drained

4 1/2 cups water

4 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Equipment:

• Large Dutch oven

1. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven.
2. Add the onion.  Cook until translucent.
3. Add the garlic, chili, herbs and fenugreek.  Reduce heat and cook about 20 minutes, until aromatic.  This is really important, so if your sense of smell is maybe a little lacking go find someone to help. 
4. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, dried limes and beans.  Saute 2 minutes. 
5. Add the water and bring to a boil. 
6. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. 
7. Add the lime juice and saffron water.  Cover and simmer 30 - 40 minutes.  I actually added the juice and saffron water, then froze the dish and simmered it when I was ready to serve it.  The timing was about the same.
8. Serve and enjoy. 

Recipe: Sirloin Kabab

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  A Taste of Persia.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2006 p. 76

When I was a kid, I thought a kabab was just one dish, not a whole type of dish.  The only type of meat that was cooked on skewers was beef, and those skewers were always threaded with peppers and onions, just like my mom did them.  While those kababs were certainly delicious and I always enjoyed them, I'm quite pleased to have learned that I can put other things on skewers too.

I think this dish appealed to me because it reminded me a bit of my childhood, although this marinade is vastly different from anything my mom would have used.  I made a few changes, of course.  I reduced the amount of meat, because there are only two of us eating it.  I used grated onions instead of onion juice, and I omitted the basting step entirely as unnecessary.  I kept the bread and the garnish, but if you wanted to omit them I think it would be perfectly all right.  The saffron flavor really came through, which just goes to prove a little goes a very long way.

Sirloin Kabab (serves 2; approx. $7.47/serving)

1 pound sirloin beef

8 cherry tomatoes

2 onions, grated

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1 package whole-wheat lavash bread

1 bunch scallions, sliced

Equipment:

• Zip-top plastic bag
• 4 metal skewers
• Big Green Egg or other grill.  You could probably do this under your broiler too, but it won't be as tasty or make your neighbors quite so jealous.

1. Cut the meat into 3 - 4" pieces and put into the plastic bag.
2. Add the onions, pepper, lime juice, salt, olive oil, yogurt and saffron water to the bag.  Massage well to mix and refrigerate up to 48 hours.  (I let mine sit the full 48 but I didn't intend to; if you let it sit more than a couple of hours be sure to turn the bag occasionally.  )
3. Preheat your grill for medium-high direct heat cooking (450 degrees or so.)  Thread the meat onto skewers.  Put the tomatoes onto a separate skewer. 
4. Cook the meat 3 - 4 minutes per side.  Cook the tomatoes at the same time. 
5. Spread the bread onto your serving platter.  Scatter the scallions on top of the bread. 
6. Remove the meat from the skewers onto the bread, followed by the tomatoes.  Serve. 

Recipe: Lamb and Grape Stew

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  From Persia to Napa.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2006 p. 180

A couple of years ago, I made pomegranate and pistachio meatballs for a dinner party.  (It was probably either our Purim party or our friend Troy's birthday.)  They were a big hit.  They were really more of a "huge" hit than a big hit.  People love those things.  I'm no exception.  They were really tasty.  This year, I decided that I would make something from the same book for our Purim/St. Patrick's Day party.  Unfortunately, our guests requested the pomegranate and pistachio meatballs after I had already bought all the stuff for this dish.  This dish was tasty, don't get me wrong.  However, I made the mistake of serving it side-by-side with the pomegranate and pistachio meatballs, and there is just no way that this could compare. 

I did make a few changes.  I used a lot less oil than called for.  I used more cilantro and some tarragon in place of the mint, since my husband is allergic to mint.  I used the spiced herb tea for the broth, since I had it right there and fresh.  Finally, I used regular ripe green grapes instead of the unripe grapes called for in the original.  Unripe grapes would have been more authentic and certainly better in the recipe, but they're kind of hard to come by in my neighborhood.   

Lamb and Grape Stew (serves 6; approx. $3.56/serving)

1 pound ground lamb

2 onions, 1 grated and 1 thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups Spiced Herb Tea

1/2 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 bunch grapes

1 teaspoon honey

Equipment:

• Large saute pan
• Mixing bowl
• Slotted spoon

1. Combine the meat, grated onion, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. 
2. Knead the meat mixture well and shape into meatballs the approximate size of walnuts. 
3. Heat the oil in the saute pan.  Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown, then evacuate the meatballs with a slotted spoon.
4. Add the onions to the same pan without draining the rendered fat first.  Saute until golden brown.
5. Add the celery and the remaining salt.  Cook until the celery is translucent.
6. Add the herbs (parsley and cilantro).  Saute another 10 minutes.
7. Add the meatballs and the onions to the pan. 
8. Add the herb tea and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. 
10. Add the saffron water, grapes and honey.  Cook another 15 minutes. 
11. Serve. 

Recipe: Yogurt with Cucumber (Mast-o Kheeyar)

Recipe Source: Shaida, Margaret.  The Legendary Cuisine of Persia.  Interlink Books, Brooklyn, 2002 p. 208

Every year my husband and I celebrate Purim with another couple.  We aren't Jewish, we just like the traditional cookies associated with the holiday of Purim.  (The wife of the other couple is Jewish, so at least we're celebrating someone's cultural heritage here, but really, it's all about the cookies.)  We get together at one of our homes, enjoy dinner together and then Ruth and I get to work making the cookies.  Since Purim celebrates events that took place in Persia, I usually make Persian food. 

This year we didn't get to celebrate Purim on Purim.  Ruth was throwing a baby shower in New York and wasn't around.  We decided instead that we would celebrate on St. Patrick's Day, since we first started celebrating Purim together the year that it fell on St. Patrick's Day.  Anyway, while the weekend before St. Patrick's Day this year brought some of the worst flooding that this area has seen in a long time, which was exacerbated by storms early the next week, St. Patrick's Day itself was bright and sunny and dry and warm and beautiful.  I wanted flavors that celebrated spring.  I also wanted a dish that wasn't too heavy. 

I've seen this dish a few times in this cookbook, and I've always considered it but ultimately rejected it.  The idea of a yogurt dish like this seemed... well, unappealing.  It certainly isn't a pretty dish, I'll say that much.  It kind of looks like some kind of glop, a word derived from the sound it makes as it hits your plate.  Don't let the visual fool you.  This dish was exactly what I wanted it to be: light and refreshing and tasty.  I omitted the raisins - I just couldn't make myself go that far - and substituted additional dill for the mint.  Finally, I just used yogurt instead of the 3:1 ratio of yogurt and sour cream that was called for in the original.  (I just don't like sour cream, I don't know why.)  The yogurt was fat-free Greek-style yogurt. 

Mast-o Kheeyar (serves 4; approx. $1.80/serving)

1 long seedless cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper.

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

8 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

1 cup fat-free Greek style yogurt

Equipment:

• No special equipment is required for this recipe.

1. Sprinkle the cucumbers with the salt and pepper.  Let stand for about 5 minutes. 
2. Combine all of the ingredients in your serving bowl.
3. Mix well and serve. 

Recipe: Yogurt and Saffron-Infused Turkey Braise (Khoresh-e mast-o zaferan)

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  From Persia to Napa.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2006 p. 182

I've had a lot of problems using yogurt in recipes lately.  It's been really frustrating to me.  Every time I try to use it the yogurt separates into little curds, which gives it an unpleasant appearance and a worse texture.  For a while I just avoided cooking with yogurt.  There are too many recipes, though, that call for yogurt, and I couldn't keep shutting myself off from them.  I decided to conquer this challenge and have to report progress.  It's not a total victory - if you click on the photo of this dish, you can see that there are some little curds.  Still, it's getting better every time I try it. 

I did make a few changes to this recipe.  The first change was the use of turkey thighs instead of chicken.  I just like turkey better.  It's got a better flavor than chicken, and turkey is less likely to have had the flavor bred out of it than chicken is.  I used honey instead of grape molasses.  This is because I couldn't find grape molasses in my area and I've seen other recipes in this book use honey as a substitute.  I had to use lemon instead of orange rind because I had lemons.  The result was actually a really tasty dish that I would be thrilled to serve again. 

Khoresh-e Mast-o Zaferan (serves 4; approx. $5.93/serving)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup raisins

1 green apple, peeled & sliced

2 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 lb boneless turkey thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped celery

5 garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon grated ginger

5 kaffir lime leaves

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 cups fat-free Greek yogurt, mixed with 1 teaspoon corn starch

Equipment:

• Deep saute pan or skillet
• Slotted spoon

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add the almonds, raisins and apple.  Saute 20 seconds, then evacuate with the slotted spoon and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil. 
4. Add the turkey and onions.  Cook 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
5. Add the celery, ginger, coriander and garlic.  Cook 1 minute longer.
6. Add lime leaves, Aleppo pepper, salt, saffron water, honey, pepper, lime juice and orange rind. 
7. Cover and cook over very low heat 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, beat the yogurt mixture in one direction for 5 minutes.
9. Gradually add it to the skillet, stirring gently and frequently. 
10. Simmer over low heat another 25 minutes.  Serve, sprinkled with the basil.  Top with the almonds, raisins and apple. 

Recipe: Cheese, Bread and Herbs on Cucumbers

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  From Persia to Napa.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2006 p. 108

I was really into this hors d'oeuvre when I first saw it.  It looked like a lot of fun.  It also looked like a somewhat healthier hors d'oeuvre than I usually see.  While there is cheese, it is not deep fried.  Unfortunately I had to make a lot of changes to the original, based on the availability of some of the herbs and on the complete unavailability of edible rose petals anywhere near my house. 

How did it go over?  Well, personally, I kind of liked it.  It wasn't spectacular, but it was interesting and a little different.  I brought it to the annual Wine and Cheese party at my friends' house, and a few people said they liked it.  One person distinctly did not like it.  She spat it out right in front of me and complained about the presence of walnuts (despite having been warned about the walnuts in advance...)  Anyway, after she spat it out, no one else was all that interested in trying it.  Fortunately it was pretty easy to make, so at least it wasn't a whole lot of wasted time. 

Cheese, Bread and Herbs on Cucumbers (makes 56; approx. $0.51/serving)

4 pita breads, cut into small squares and toasted

1 lb feta (I like sheep feta; the original called for goat)

2 packages fresh marjoram, leaves only

1 package fresh oregano, leaves only

1 package fresh tarragon

1/4 cup dried tarragon leaves

1 lb toasted walnut pieces

4 long, seedless cucumbers

Equipment:

• Food processor

1. Combine everything but the cucumbers in the food processor and process to a paste.  You can add some olive oil if the paste is too dry; mine was moist enough that I didn't need to add oil.
2. Divide the paste into 56 portions. 
3. Slice the cucumbers into 56 slices. 
4. Roll the paste portions into balls and place atop the cucumber slices. 

Recipe: Turnip Stew (Khoresht-e Shalgham)

Recipe Source: Shaida, Margaret.  The Legendary Cuisine of Persia.  Interlink Books, Brooklyn, 2002 pp. 103 - 5

Mmm... stew.  Nothing seems quite so perfect as the weather gets colder and the nights grow longer.  Persian cuisine is just full of delicious, beautiful, fragrant stews that I simply adore.  This stew is no exception.  It's a variation on a stew that would normally be made with eggplants.  To be quite honest I probably would have preferred it with eggplant, but eggplants are long since out of season.  Turnips, on the other hand, are really coming into their own, and they happen to be one of The Spouse's favorite things in the world. 

I honestly didn't make changes to this recipe.  I didn't need to.  Don't be intimidated by the three pages of recipe indicated above; much of that space is taken up with additional variations on the original so you can enjoy this favorite stew year-round. 

Khoresht-e Shalgham (serves 4; approx. $4.57/serving)

4 lb turnips, peeled and diced

1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

1 lb lamb stew meat

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, sliced

1 teaspoon turmeric (it's okay to be generous)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

4 tablespoons lemon juice

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment:

• Large saucepan or deep saute pan

1. Heat the oil in the saucepan.  Add the onions and cook until golden and softened.
2. Add the turmeric, salt, pepper and meat.  Stir-fry until the meat is browned.
3. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon juice.  Add water to cover.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Add the turnips, cover and simmer another 30 minutes.  Both the meat and the turnips should be tender when done. 
5. Serve and enjoy. 

Recipe: Carrot Jam (Morabbe-ye Haveej)

Recipe Source: Shaida, Margaret.  The Legendary Cuisine of Persia.  Interlink Books, Brooklyn, 2002 p. 227.

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't like carrots.  They are really far too sweet for me.  I'm a rare bird in that respect, though.  A lot of people that I know absolutely adore carrots, so when I saw this recipe for a traditional Persian carrot jam I thought it would be perfect for my big Christmas project.  It wasn't exactly hard to make, but it was a little "fiddly." 

The original recipe wanted the carrots to be slivered, with the woody core of the carrot removed.  I did the best I could, but I soon found that this took a LOT of time.  This was a lot of time standing, and I just can't do that these days.  Eventually I gave up and turned to my trusty food processor, which rendered me some carrot slivers in no time at all.  I also decided not to bother slivering the pistachios and almonds.  I had some almond slices that worked just fine. 

Morabba-ye Haveej (makes 7 8-oz jars and 4 4-oz jars; approx. cost per serving not available)

3 orange peels

4 lb carrots, peeled and slivered

6 cups sugar

5 teaspoons rosewater

3 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup sliced almonds

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Small saucepan
• Strainer
• Large stockpot
• 7 8-oz mason jars, with lids and bands
• 4 4-oz mason jars, with lids and bands
• Tongs
• Boiling water canner

1. Cut the orange peels into very thin slivers and put them into the small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then drain.  Repeat two more times.  This apparently removes bitterness.
2. Bring the sugar and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil, then boil gently for 5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and orange slivers.  Boil until the carrots are tender and the syrup thickens. 
4. Add the lemon juice, cardamom and nuts.  Boil until the mixture reaches 225 degrees. 
5. In the meantime, prepare your canning equipment.  Put your jars, lids and bands into the stock pot.  Fill with water and bring that water to 180 degrees.  Fill your boiling water canner and bring the water to 180 degrees. 
6. When the carrot mixture reaches 225 degrees, remove from heat and add the rosewater. 
7. Ladle the mixture into the prepared jars and lower into the boiling water canner.  (It may be necessary to do this in batches depending on the size of your equipment.)  Bring the water to a rolling boil, then cover and process 30 minutes. 
8. Label and store.