Happy 2014

 

We just 2,5 hours away from New Year Eve. here in Midwest , there is nothing special at our house. As usually we just stay home, away from crowd , and another reason .. bitter cold outside now ...
But today, I decided to cook Persian dish for our family dinner. Just to honor my husband and my kid .. they loves this dish so much ..

Recipe adapted from Persian Food Guru, Najmieh Batmaglij - with a several adjustment from me to my taste and an easy way.

Before I write the recipe down, let me thank to you my beloved reader ... who always stop by to my blog :

Happy New Year

Wishing you a fabulous 2014, with full of great achievements and experiences, a meaningful chapter waiting to be written.

Kufteh Berenji // Persian Rice Meatballs

Ingredients :
1/2 cups, yellow split peas
1 cup rice (long grain is better)
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoon advieh (Persian Spice Mix) ** see note
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 large onion, thinly spices
2 tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 ground meat
2 cups chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 cup dried
1 cup chopped fresh dill or 1/4 cup dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh taragon or 1 tbsp dried
2 cups chipped fresh green onion / scallion / chives
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato juice
2 cups of water (480 ml)
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tbs hot water

Directions :
1. Pick over the rice, rinse once

2. In medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to boil, add the split peas , cooked until beans become tender, discard the water, set aside.

3. In another pot, brings 4 cups of water ad 1/2 tsp salt to a boil, add the rice and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat. Using the fine colander, drain the rice, reserving the liquid, set a side.

4. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, the advieh, the pepper, and egg, beat well. Add the onion powder, ground beef, all green herbs / dried herbs, split peas, rice. Knead the mixture throughly for about 10 minutes until it reaches the consistency of a smooth paste.

5.In a heavy pot, heat 1/2 cup of oil over medium heat, add the slices of onions , garlic and fry 15 minutes until golden brown, add ground turmeric, add the tomato juice, water, beef stock, the liquid reserved in step 3, lime juice, 1 tsp salt, saffron water. Bring to boil

6. Shape the meat paste into ball the size of lemon. Gently place the meatballs in the boiling pot of broth. Reduce the heat ; simmer gently for 45 minutes , basting the meatballs occasionally with the broth to prevent them from drying out.

7. Cover partial, cook for 15 minute longer,

8. Adjust salt to your taste, enjoy the meal with yoghurt, lavash bread / thin bread and fresh herbs such mint, basil :)

Make your own Advieh Spices :
2 tbsp dried rose petals
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp ground cummin

throughly mix the ground spices and the rose petals. this recipe makes about 1/2 cups, stored in a airtight container for future used.

Ketan Serundeng Ikan / Glutinous Rice Cake with Shreded Fish Topping

I've been contacted by Lubna Karim - from Yummy Food ; to participate into her event "Joy from fasting to feasting" about a week ago. But with all 'the chaos' around me ; I hardly to manage my time until today . 

I love her idea to share our tradition to other fellow blogger during Ramadan - wish I have more time to take more decent picture than the one I sent to her.

Take a peek at her blog and her event HERE - and you will find so many interesting recipes from all around the world and common serve during Ramadan.

I share 'Ketan Serundeng Ikan'  recipe and will be posted at her blog on August, 7. This recipe is always bring my childhood memory back - the time that I love to sit together with my family for iftar (fasting break time).  After all, what better than soul food for yourself, huh ? :)

 

 

Ketan Serundeng Ikan // Glutinous Rice Cake with Shredded Fish Topping

 

Ingredients :

 

500gr glutinous rice , rinsed well, soaked into the warm water for 1 hours, drained

 

250ml lite coconut milk

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

 

Ingredients for fish topping :

300gr red snapper fillet or tuna or tilapia ; steam for about 10 minutes ; shredded when is cold enough to handle

2 Bay Leaves

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp sugar

2 Lime Leaves

 

The Spices, grind very well all the ingredients bellow with mortar or food processor :

3 medium garlic

2 red bird pepper / 2 tbsp sambel oelek

1/2 tsp coriander powder

5 shallot

Directions :

1. Steam the glutinous rice for about 10 minutes

2. Meanwhile In medium pot, boiled coconut oil, turmeric powder, salt - stir very well. Than, add into the rice, mix together, add lime juice. Steam it again until cooked through about 15 more minutes.

3. Fish Topping : in medium wok, saute the spices , bay leaves, lime leaves with vegetable oil until translucent, than add shredded fish , stir ; add sugar and salt. Cooked until the mixture become dry.

4. Serve the cake rice with fish topping. Enjoy.



Nasi Goreng Indonesia

 

Please forgive me, not to post a very interesting recipe - what ?? Nasi Goreng ? aaw, every body know how to cook. All right, I just want to give reward to my self for lunch today, I work so hard at the gym for a couple weeks , though .. ok, nice lunch ! why not ? than just boring veggie+fruit combination smoothie ..

Nasi goreng, literally meaning fried rice, original made from leftover rice and eaten as a breakfast dish. Now more usual server for lunch or as the basis of a larger evening meal. This dish is best made from cold leftover rice, but you still can cook with a new rice from rice cooker but just keep 4 hours before cook to better taste. And one of secret ingredient (now is reveal) : 'kecap manis' - Indonesian soy bean sauce ; DON'T DARE to subtitute kecap manis with other soy bean sauce :P you won't get the same version as we love to eat.

Anyway, nasi goreng is become popular, simple dish in our family too - my husband like eat his version of nasi goreng which mean : no chili, no garlic, no cracker and topping with jalapeno slice pickle.  And my little one version is : no chili, add carrot, a lot of cabbage, and kerupuk :)

Everybody has their own version , but I cook like this :

 

NASI GORENG INDONESIA
Ingredients:
6 shallots
3 garlic
5 g shrimp paste, toasted
10 g red chili or you can use 1 tbsp of Sambal Oelek
2 eggs
150 g chicken breast, deep-fried and shredded
1/4 cup cooking oil
500g rice, cold
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp kecap manis cap Bango or other Indonesian Brand, I just cant live without Bango
1 spring onion, chopped
Shallot flakes
Fried egg, sunny side up - in fact I like my fried egg with kind of runny yolk looking ^_^

Directions:
Grind shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and chili to fine paste.
Scramble the egg , set a side
Heat cooking oil in a wok and stir-fry spice paste for 2 minutes, till brownish and fragrant, medium heat. Push spices to side of wok and pour egg into the wok.
Add rice, pepper, kecap manis and soy sauce. Stir-fry everything quickly over high heat, for 6-7 minutes. Ad the scramble egg. spring onion Mix well.
Serve warm with condiments such as sliced tomatoes/cucumber, fried egg, crackers, etc.

Lubia Polow

Let me make confess here : I do love lubia polow but I don’t like to cook it . It’s always become disaster dish to me. I always ignore my husband request, especially after he mention about how cooking rice is become a lovely chores for Iranian – jezz, I never tough how hard to cook rice before, well, to make it simple I always put rice into the rice cooker, easy.. and no complain

Anyway, short story, I met my in-law a couple years ago. With help from my husband to translate their conversation finally I got the secret of cooking this lovely rice – don’t worry I share with you. The critical point of cooking Persian rice is when you add the rice into the boiling water, and when you must to take the rice from the heat. It's all about the time, guys..

Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it.

Lubia Polow (Rice with Green Beans)
(inspired by my sisters-in-law, farah and zohreh)

Ingredients :
2 cups of white basmati rice
1 large onion, chopped fine
2-3 cups of fresh green beans , cut into 1-inch pieces
3 big tomatoes, chopped or just using 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of advieh (persian rice spice mix)* easy to find at mid-eastern grocery store or make your own, see the note
2 1/2 tsp of salt
3 tsp of olive oil
1 lb of beef meat or lamb, cut into small dices *we like using lamb meat, more faster to cook and taste much better than beef meat. or using chicken meat, it work well too.
1 tbs of garlic powder
pinch of ground pepper
To my taste, I add 1 tsp of paprika powder

Note, :
* Advieh : mix very well 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp cardamom,store in an air-tight container for next use

1. Rinse your basmati rice. until the water in the bowl is rather clear. And add 2 cups of cold water, set aside for about 30 minutes-1 hours.

2. Place the 2 cups of rice and about 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil Bring to a boil and then let it boil for about 6-8 minutes more. To know when the rice should be removed from the heat and drained, taste a few grains. They should be soft but still have a bit of toughness in the center of the grain. Once you drain the rice in a strainer or colander, Strain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.

3. Saute the onions with 1 TBSP of oil on medium heat until they begin to brown. Add the meat until browned,add the tomatoes, turmeric, cinnamon, advieh, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes.

meanwhile, in a small wok saute the green beans with a small amount of oil, its about 5minute, set aside

4. Once the meat mix is cooked, add green beans,set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1 tablespoon of saffron water to the bottom of a clean non-stick pot. Add a layer of rice. Cover with a layer of the green beans and tomato mixtures. Sprinkle some advieh on top. Repeat layering until both rice and green beans and meat mixture are gone always ending with a layer of white rice. Be sure to add advieh as you go.

5. Cover rice and cook on high for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of saffron water with 2 tablespoons of canola oil and pour over rice. 

6. Cook for about 10 more minutes on medium-high heat. Then cover the pot with 2 paper towels and place a tight-fitting lid on top. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 35-40 more minutes. (The paper towels help keep in the steam). Don’t overcook ,you don’t want the rice to become too mushy.

7. When you are ready to serve, a very common presentation method is to invert the rice on a plate so that you can present the tahdiq (the highly coveted crust of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot). Yummy ...

Have a nice weekend, everyone

Dirty Rice

Oh..wow, first time posting for New Year 2012 - No bad at all :)

This dish is pretty simple and one of alternative to clean up your refrigerator. You can use almost all ingredients you can find on your kitchen :)  Inspired by Paula Deen - with several modification from me, since we didn't eat pork , I add some green healthy veggies.  And one note from me is , using BASMATI RICE or long grain rice only ; so the texture of rice will still look nice and you won't find broken rice when the rice is cooked (this is big NO .. NO when you serving rice to my Iranian's Husband  ^-^  )

Dirty Rice by Fitri Rumah Manis

Ingredients

4- 5 chicken liver (you can skip the liver if you don't like the taste, but trust me..you will never taste the liver after you mixed all the ingredients together)

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup oil

1 cup chopped onion

8 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup green onion

1/2 cup chopped green onions, both white and green parts

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tomato, seedless, diced
4 cups basmati rice, cooked

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red chili flakes

Directions

Put liver in separate saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until tender. Chop fine and set aside. Saute ground meats in oil until well done. Add onion, garlic, celery,green onions,green beans. Cook until tender. Add livers, parsley, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook about 15 minutes. Add rice then season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes and add tomato dice at last. Serve immediately

Kabab Kobideh

Don't call yourself Iranian, if you don't know how to making kabab - well, at least that is my opinion after so many years become an Iranian wife. I didn't know about kabab , the taste, the shape until I married to Iranian husband and attended too many Persian parties. oh well .. what I can say next that : I LOVE KABAB !! a little bit different with our Indonesian Satay which is Indonesian always eat satay / kabab with hot peanut dipping sauce but all Iranian as I know they eat the kabab with a bunch of raw onion *don't ask me to eat the raw onion :p - I still can't do that, the taste is not for me LOL , And the similarity between kabab and satay is we cook on the grill ..

I've been trying and practicing making kabab too many time and never get a perfect kabab as I want , I almost give up and especially after friend of mine told me, that "I don't need to know everything otherwise your husband won't never take you to restaurant anymore" LOL .. That was a funny joke my friend ever made. But after ask some advice to my blogger's friend , Azita from turmericsaffron.blogspot.com

I'm so proud to telling you that now I know how to make (almost) a perfect kabab :D . And right now, we (me and my husband) like to making kabab and invite some of friends to enjoy dinner together.
    

Kabab KoobidehIngredients :

2 pounds finely ground beef or lamb– I used 80% ground meat, (grind it 2-3 times)

1 large onion, grated, squeeze out the juice

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tsp salt


Mixed all the ingredient in a blender with T hook for several times until sticky

Here is a few tips I got from my beloved blogger friends, Azita to make sure that the meat doesn't fall off the skewers - and check her pages, and you won't be regret to know how to cook like an iranian :)

1- Use fresh meat with some fat.

2- Grind the meat at least twice.

3- Squeeze out the grated onion and discard the juice.

4- Mix all the ingredients very well until it becomes like a sticky ball.

5- Leave the mixture at room-temperature for at least an hour.

6- Press the meat onto the flat metal skewers and make sure the ends are sticking too. Let them adhere to the shape by leaving them to rest for at least half an hour on the counter.

7- Grill has to be hot. You want to grill the kabab on high heat and quickly.

8- Once all the skewers are placed on the grill start turning them over one by one. You'll need to repeat this until both sides are browned evenly and well done to your liking.

9- If after following all of these steps the meat falls off the skewer, you may add 2-3 tablespoons of dried bread crumbs even though this is not a common practice in kabab making.

Keep yourself warm !

After spoiled by sunny warm weather last week... *yeaaa.. we even reached 75 F temperature during winter, hey.. soon is gonna be Spring :D* Again, windy, rainy, cold weather coming .. hik.. I don't like cold weather.. But, one of Indonesian dish I love and some Indonesian love to eat during cold weather is a bowl of chicken porridge.

Now its time to share the recipe with you :D

Chicken Soup Porridge

Ingredients Rice Porridge

200 g short grain rice (i used jasmine rice)

2000 ml water
2 Indonesian bay leaves

1 tsp salt

Direction : wash and drain the rice. In pot, mix water and rice. Bring to a boil and cook until soft. Add salt and bay leaves, reduce the heat and continue simmering until porridge is ready which is no separation between liquid and rice.

Ingredients Soup :

A half part of chicken +/- 250 gram - i used : chicken leg and tight

1.000 ml water

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp white pepper powder

1 tbsp soybean sauce / Kecap Bango

Grind spices into a paste:

6 shallots

4 cloves garlic

2 cm length turmeric, roasted and peeled - or you can use 1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tbsp ground coriander seed - or 2 tbsp powder

3 candle nuts

Directions : In pot boil water, add chicken and cook until chicken is soft . Take the chicken out of the pot, fry with 2 tbs vegetable oil until golden brown , and shredded the chicken. Set aside.

Meanwhile fry the spice paste, with 1 tsp vegetable oil until fragrance. And the rest of ingredients . Add into the soup, boil for about 5 minute.

Don't STEAL the Images

How to serve :

Put the porridge into the bowl, add 2 - 3 tbsp of soup, sprinkle with fry soy bean, slice of green onions, and sambal / hot chili. Well, Indonesian people can't live without chili , when comes to eat food, they always like to be sweating * if you know what I mean ^grin^ *

How to fry soybeans :

Grind 3 garlic and 2 tsp salt, put into medium bowl with 250 gr soy bean and 3 cup of water - soak for at least 3 hours or 24 hours.

Drain the water. Fry until golden brown. Drain and store in an air tight container.

Persian Dolmeh // Stuffed Grape Leaves

This is the first time I made Dolmeh, a lot of effort but I tell you .. worth it..!!

Persian Dolmeh // Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients

1 16-once jar canned leaves

2/3 cup long-grain rice

1/4 cup yellow split peas

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup fresh summer savory or 1 tbs dried

1 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup fresh dill or 2 tbs dried

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 1 tbs dried

1/4 cup chopped fresh taragon or 1 tbs dried

3 1/2 cups parsley

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup beef broth

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

In a small saucepan combine the rice, split peas, 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, drain and set aside

In large skillet, heat 3 tbs oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and meat and fry for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Add the rice mixture, the herbs, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and adjust seasoning to taste.

Place three layer of grape leaves on the bottom of big pot.

Place a grape leaf, vein side up, on a wooden board and nip off the steam. Top with 1 tbsp of stuffing, roll up the leaf, folding in the ends to prevent the stuffing from leaking. Do it until finish. Place the dish on top of dolmeh. Add 1 cup beef broth or 1 cup water. Cover the pot and cook with medium heat for 30 minutes.

Mix the sugar, vinegar, lime juice. Remove the dish, uncover the pot and baste dolmeh with this mixture. Cover and return to the stove , cook for 30 more minutes.

When the grape leaves are tender, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. The sauce should be quite reduce. Serve warm with bread and yogurt.

Sholeh Zard

For Bee & Jai, this is my entry for event CLICK September 2009 : "HEIRLOOM"

Rice pudding is an ancient dish enjoyed by people of many cultures and cuisines. The history of rice is a long and complicated story. Food historians generally agree that rice came to Europe by way of India

"Shola...the name given to a number of dishes all over the Middle East, Iran, and Afghanistan in which short-grain rice is cooked until soft and thick, with other ingredients chose according to whether the shola is be be savoury or sweet...sholleh was brought to Perisa by the Mongolians in the 13th century...Shola-e-zard is a sweet saffron and rosewater (or orange flower water) flavoured rice dish...It has a religious significance, being made on the 10th day or Muharram (the Muslim month of mourning)...also made as a nazr, which is a custom of thanksgiving or pledge practiced in Iran and Afghanistan. The shola is cooked and then distributed to the poor and to neighbors and relatives."

---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 720)--

My Kitchen My World, IRAN : Lubia Polo

One of common and popular Persian's Dish at my home now, is Lubia Polo - well, I said popular because almost two time a month a make this dish, it's kind of easy .. almost like a one-pot cooking. There is a rice, vegetables and meat .. see, simply and you don't have take too much time in the kitchen to get very healthy food. wanna try ?

uupss.. forget to say that this is my entry for event My Kitchen My World hosted by Lauren , and this week with Elra, they are chose IRAN for kitchen destination . *Thank you guys ;-) *

Lubia Polo - Rice with Green Beans & Tomatoes ala Rumah Manis

2 cups basmati rice (very recommended)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

500 gr meat - beef / lamb or veal, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

750 gr fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch

5 fresh tomatoes, peeled, sliced cubes or canned tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon Persian Spice mix (advieh - *see the note !)

1 tablespoon chicken stock powder

1 teaspoon dried lime powder

1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water

Make your own advieh :

2 tablespoon dried rose petals

2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon ground cumin

throughly mix the ground spices and rose petals. stored in an airtight container

Direction :
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the beans, fry for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set a side

In medium pot, heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium hear, add the onion stir 5 minute, until translucent, add garlic and meat stir-fry for 10 minutes until meat change the color. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cinnamon, advieh, lime powder, chicken stock powder. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until the meat are tender

When the meat are tender add the green beans, stir for 5 minute - adjust the seasoning. Set a side

Preparing the rice :

Wash the rice.

In large non-stick pot, bring 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoon salt to a boil. add the rice and boil briskly for 10 minute, gently stirring twice with a wooden spoon. Once the rice rises to the top of pot, it is done

Drain the rice in a large strainer and rinse with 3 cups lukewarm water.

In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup oil, 2 spatula of the rice, 2 tablespoon yogurt, 1/2 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon of saffron water. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the rice pot. This will form the golden crust, or tah dig. Or to make you easy, you can use potatoes instead. Peel the potatoes, thin slice and arrange over the bottom of rice pot, sprinkle with a little of salt. Believe me, you will get a crunchy delicious potatoes for snack too.

Place 2 spatulas full of rice in the pot, add a spatula of the bean and meat mixture. Repeat, alternating layers of the rice with beans and meat, mounding the ingredients in the shape of a pyramid.

Cover the pot, cook the rice for 10 minute over medium heat.

Mix 1/4 cup cold water and 4 tablespoon oil, pour over rice. Sprinkle on the remaining saffron water

Place a clean dish towel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot , cover firmly with the lid. Reduce heat to low and cook 50 minute longer.

Remove the lid, un-molding the entire mold onto the platter. And serve the tah dig into separate platter and eat as snack before main course.