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Mast-o musir
Yoghurt with wild shallots
Mast-o musir (ماست و موسیر): thick yogurt with Persian shallots
Every kebab house in Tehran puts a little bowl of mast-o musir on the table beside the chelow, and at home it sits next to Friday lunch the same way. Musir is a wild mountain shallot from the Zagros, sold dried in slices; once soaked it is mild, garlicky and faintly sweet, and it gives thick yogurt a sharp bite. The one mistake to avoid is skipping the long soak, which leaves the shallots tough and bitter. If you cannot find musir, see the swap in the steps. Chef's tip: make it a few hours ahead; the shallot flavour deepens as it sits in the fridge.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried Persian shallots (musir)sliced
- 1 ⅛ lb thick strained yogurt
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried mint (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Soak the 1 oz dried Persian shallots (musir) in plenty of cold water, ideally overnight in the fridge, changing the water once or twice. It is ready when a piece is soft enough to squash between your fingers. In a hurry, simmer it in water for 10 minutes, then cool. No musir? Use 2 grated banana shallots plus a small grated garlic clove.
10 minStep 2: Drain, squeeze dry and chop the musir finely.
3 minStep 3: Stir it into the 1 ⅛ lb thick strained yogurt with the ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Taste: it should be tangy with a clear oniony bite.
2 minStep 4: Spoon into a bowl, sprinkle with ½ tsp dried mint and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Chill until serving; it keeps 3 days covered.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mast-o musir take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried persian shallots (musir)?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of thick strained yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
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