Tas Kabab

Tas kabab is usually an autumn/winter meal when beh (quince)  is in season and readily available in the market. This combination of meat and vegetables is tastiest when made with fresh quince. Since I like tas kabab and find it easy to make, nutritious and delicious, I make it meal frequently regardless of the season. Sometimes, I would use granny smith apples instead of quince. I think it’s a rather good substitute when quince is not seasonally available. You can make this dish without the use of quince or apples; it would still be very tasty. Some people like to add eggplants to this dish. This is also a one dish meal and there’s no need to serve rice with it. It is best served with some warm bread, yogurt and pickles (torshi).

Tas Kabab

Ingredients:
Serves4-6

1 pound meat (beef or lamb), washed, cut in small pieces
3 medium sized onions, peeled, sliced

3 medium sized carrots, washed, scraped and sliced ( I used baby carrots this time)

3 medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced

2 large quince, cored and sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup pitted dried prunes *optional

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1-2 cups of water

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon dried lemon powder (limoo omani/amani)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Dash of cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to cover the bottom. Place a layer of sliced onions at the bottom; add a layer of meat, then a layer of tomatoes, carrots, and quince, in that order. 
2. As you add each layer, sprinkle them with a dash of salt. Add potatoes and prunes at the end. Add the remaining spices, pepper, lemon powder, turmeric and a dash of cinnamon on top of the mixture. 
3. Mix together the water and the tomato paste and pour over the meat and the other ingredients in the pot. 
4. Cover and cook slowly for an hour and a half on medium-low heat. There is no need to stir the food; this way the vegetables won’t turn into mush. 
5. Place gently on a serving platter.

Gently scoop out and place on a platter. Serve warm with bread, fresh herbs and yogurt.

Enjoy!

Kabab Deegi - Iranian Pan Kabab

With nice days of spring ahead, kabab/kebob is one of the great dishes to make outdoor parties. There are a variety of kababs such as koobideh (ground meat kabab), barg (beef tenderloin), joojeh kabab (chicken) or fish  kabab to name a few. 

However,since we haven’t had a chance to assemble our new grill yet, therefore I have to settle for kabab digi/deegi (stove-top pan kabab) for now. I don’t know of any Iranian who doesn’t know how to make kababs. I think the love of a good kabab along with the method of preparation and cooking was passed down to us through our genes from generation to generation! However, this recipe is for people like my daughter who one day might get tired of eating campus food and may want to try to make something quick, simple and delicious such as this kabab.

 

Usually, we use 2-4 pounds of ground meat (ground beef, lamb or a combination of the two) for the flat metal skewer grilled kabab. Always making sure that there is enough food for everyone in the family and also having enough to serve an uninvited neighbor or a guest who happens to drop by unexpectedly. I must say this has almost never happened to me here, but it was very common back then when I was growing up in Iran. It won't take very long to cook the meat on the stove. You can also cook kabab deegi in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes.

 

Kabab Deegi- Pan Kabab

Ingredients:
Serves 4

 

1 1/2 pound ground meat (beef, lamb or combination of the two)  

1 medium-sized onion grated, discard juice
1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of hot water
Salt and pepper to taste

 Method:

1. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and knead well or use the food processor.
2. Choose a medium sized fraying pan and flatten the mixture into the pan, starting at the center and working it to the outer edges. 
3. Place the pan on the stove for 20-30 minutes on medium heat. Once the bottom is browned, cut the meat lengthwise into strips (or if you prefer like pizza slices) and then turn them over one by one, cook for another 20-30 on medium-low heat or until meat is fully cooked.

Sprinkle some sumac powder (available in Iranian grocery stores) on the kabab. Serve with rice, grilled tomatoes, sliced onions and yogurt drinks (doogh).

 

Enjoy!

Kalam Polow - Cabbage Rice

This is another great variation of  rice which is a stable in Iranian cooking. Even though I’ve had kalam polow in the past, I must say that I didn’t particularly cared for it until recently. I think liking cabbage is an acquired taste. Now that I’ve grown smitten by it, I add plenty of it to the pickles (torshi) I make. I eat it raw as a snack or mix it with rice. For this dish, vegetarians can skip making meatballs altogether. Cabbage rice is a rich and fulfilling meal on its own. And for those days that there isn’t enough time to patiently make little meatballs, just use cooked ground beef instead, it’s equally delicious.

Kalam Polow - Cabbage Rice

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 cups long grain white rice, washed and soaked in 4cups of salted water
1 pound ground beef
2 cups shredded white cabbage
1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or advieh (Iranian allspice)
1/2 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 3-4 tablespoons of hot water

Salt and pepper -- to taste

Vegetable oil

Method:

1. Wash rice with cool water a few times. Soak in 4 cups of water, add salt and set aside for couple of hours.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the ground beef, turmeric, salt and  pepper. Mix well by hand and make mini meatballs.
3. In a large skillet saute the chopped onions in two tablespoons of oil over medium heat until transparent, add turmeric and stir. Place the tiny meatballs into the pan, brown on all sides, stir in the tomato sauce. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat.
4. In a frying pan, saute shredded cabbage in 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat for ten minutes or until cabbage becomes soft and tender, add advieh, salt and pepper to taste .Set aside.
5. In a large non-stick pan that has a tight fitting lid, bring 6 cups of water to a rapid boil. Drain rice and pour into the boiling water. Bring water back to boil for 10 minutes. Test to see if the rice is ready. Rice should be firm in the center and soft on the outside. Drain and rinse with cool water. Wash the pot and return to heat, add oil and a tablespoon of liquid saffron to the pan. Place a layer of rice into the pan, then a place a layer of  theshredded cabbage, another layer of rice, building it into a pyramid shape. In order to release the steam make 2-3 holes in the rice with the bottom of the spatula. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium-high heat until rice is steaming, Lower heat and steam the rice for another 50 minutes.  

Serve kalam polw on a platter and gently spread the tiny meatballs all over the rice. Serve along with mast-o-khiar and fresh herbs or torshi.

Enjoy!