June 24, 2011

Persian Koofteh Berenji - Rice Kufta (Guest Post)




Koofteh Berenji

 کوفته برنجی Koofteh berenji (rice meatballs) made with rice, beef, yellow split peas, finely chopped fresh herbs and stuffed with chopped walnuts and prunes, simmered in a simple and tasty tomato sauce is a flavorful main dish.

Koofteh Berenji

Koofteh Berenji - Rice Kufta

Ingredients:
Makes about 10 Koofteh

1 pound lean ground lamb or beef
1 cup rice
1 cup yellow split peas
2 large onions, one grated and one onion thinly slices
1 egg
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and finely chopped (1 cup packed)
1 bunch of fresh dill, washed and finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh chives or scallions (green parts only), washed and finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh tarragon, washed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
1 1/2  teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of hot water
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil/ vegetable oil


For the Filling:

Barberries, prunes, fried onion, walnuts

Method:
  1. wash the rice a couple of times. . Drain. In a medium-sized pot, mix the rice, 2 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. 
  2. Place yellow split peas and 4 cups of water in a medium-sized pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. If the liquid is left, drain and set it aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the rice, peas, ground meat, onion, chopped vegetables, chickpea flour, turmeric, saffron, salt, and pepper to taste.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and blend in well with the rest of the ingredients. Take a handful or 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape it into a ball. You make a hole in the middle and stuff some barberries, raisins, walnuts, and fried onions inside.
  5. In a large pot, saute sliced onions in 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When transparent, add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stir well.
  6. Pour 5 cups of water into the pot, bring to a gentle boil, and one by one place each koofteh into the pot, and cook for about 50-60 minutes on medium-low heat.  Do not cover the pot completely. You may place a colander upside down over the top. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add more water if necessary. 
Serve warm with mast o khiar, pickles, sabzi khordan (fresh herbs), and bread.

Enjoy!

June 02, 2011

Mint Cucumber Sekanjabin Ice Pops - Ancient Persian Drink Meets the New World


Summer is almost here, with its typical hot and humid weather and the all too familiar music of the ice cream truck driving through the neighborhood followed by the excited screams of the neighbor's kids. So, I thought what better way to welcome the summer than with a mint and cucumber سکنجبین sekanjabin - but not the usual ancient cool beverage or the syrup dip served with fresh lettuce, but as ice pops! These are not your average frozen pops. They have the sweet and sour combination flavor that is typical of Iranian cuisine with vinegar and honey/sugar. Ice pops are a wonderful treat any time of the year but having a tasty ice pop on a hot summer day is just a delightful experience. I still remember the taste of the orange popsicles that I used to buy from the corner grocery store of my grandmother's house in Tehran. When my children were little they enjoyed their ice pops from the ice cream truck after swimming in the pool in the summer. Now, I usually get a box or two of multi-colored ice pops and that lasts us the entire summer.


سکنجبین - Sekanjabin syrup is usually served in a small bowl and eaten with fresh lettuce leaves. Sekanjabin drink is made with 2-3 tablespoons of sekanjabin, ice, water and grated cucumbers. Even though I absolutely love the taste of sekanjabin now, I didn't appreciate its strong flavor and aroma as a kid. Now, by trying to turn this delicious drink into a بستنی یخی bastani yakhi popsicle I'm hoping it will appeal to the younger generation and those of us kids at heart. This is a simple recipe and a fun one to do with the kids over the summer. I have made few changes in my sekanjabin recipe to make these pops more palatable.


Long before the discovery of electricity and the invention of the refrigerator, having an ice cold drink in hot summer days required some planning, hard work and patience. Yakhchal (ice pits) were built in hot and dry areas to make ice during the winter and to preserve it for use in the summer. As a child, I visited one of these yakhchals in the south of Tehran with my mother. The image of that man-made ancient refrigerator which was made out of mud and clay is still etched in my mind and makes me appreciate making ice-pops in a much more convenient freezer.


Mint Cucumber Sekanjabin Ice Pops - Ancient Persian Drink Meets the New World

Ingredients:
Makes 8 pops

1/2 cup honey *(I used orange blossom honey for its delicate scent and mild flavor but any other fruit flavored honey will do)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar *(I chose apple cider vinegar over white vinegar for its milder taste and for a bit of a fruity flavor)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest *(to add a hint of citrus taste)
1 small bunch of fresh mint, washed
3 Persian cucumbers, shredded or thinly sliced
1 teaspoon rosewater

Method:
  1. In a heavy-bottom pot combine honey, sugar and water, place on medium heat, bring the water to a boil, stir until honey and sugar are dissolved, lower the heat, simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until it thickens a little bit. 
  2. Add vinegar, lemon zest and mint leaves, stir and simmer for another 7-8 minutes.
  3.  Remove foams with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the flavors.
  4. Add a teaspoon of rosewater, remove from heat and let cool completely and then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. 
  5. Place a teaspoon of shredded cucumber and a couple of mint leaves in each mold. Pour the mixture into Popsicle molds. I used this ice pop mold. Insert the ice pop sticks and place in the freezer until firm about 3-4 hours.
Enjoy!