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503 recipes

Nan-e khameiCream puffs

Tehran's pastry shops, the qanadi on every busy street, sell nan-e khamei by the boxful: small golden choux puffs split and filled with softly whipped cream, dusted with icing sugar. Families buy a box to take when visiting relatives, for birthdays and above all for the Nowruz new-year table, and they are eaten with glasses of black tea. The shells are crisp and hollow, the cream barely sweet and sometimes lifted with a drop of rose water, and a few chopped pistachios on top add colour. Filling them too early is the usual mistake, as the cream softens the shells within hours, so fill them shortly before serving. Chef's tip: whip the cream in a chilled bowl and stop at soft peaks with a little hold; it pipes smoothly and doesn't turn grainy.

80 min

Persian Baking

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ChaplasHollow puffed Andean bread

Walk through Ayacucho's central market at seven in the morning and you will see women selling stacks of chaplas from cloth-lined baskets, still warm from the wood-fired ovens of the Andes. These round wheat breads puff up like pita in the fierce heat, leaving a hollow pocket inside a thin, soft, lightly floury crust. In Ayacucho and Huancavelica they are eaten with sweet coffee or hot emoliente for breakfast, or split and filled with queso fresco, avocado or a spoonful of rocoto sauce. Highland bakers traditionally work in a little lard; vegetable shortening gives the same tenderness and keeps the bread vegan. A cool baking tray is the reason chaplas stay flat, so preheat it thoroughly. Chef's tip: let the rolled rounds rest before baking and flip them upside down onto the tray, so the smooth, dry side meets the heat first and the pocket opens evenly.

149 min

Peruvian Breads & Parathas

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BizcochueloPlain whisked sponge cake

Nearly every Argentine birthday torta starts life as a bizcochuelo: a tall, plain sponge of eggs, sugar, flour and cornflour, with no butter and no baking powder, lifted only by long whisking. Grandmothers bake it on Sunday to split into three and fill with dulce de leche and whipped cream, or eat it plain in the afternoon with mate. The crumb is fine, dry-ish and airy, made to soak up syrup. Opening the oven in the first 20 minutes is the classic way to flatten it, so leave the door shut. Chef's tip: whisk until the mixture reaches 'punto letra', thick enough that a ribbon drawn on the surface holds its shape for a few seconds; that takes a good 8–10 minutes with an electric mixer, and warm eggs get there faster.

55 min

Argentinian Baking

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Fereni for babies (Persian rice-milk porridge)

Fereni is one of the oldest Persian sweets, and in Iranian homes it is also a baby's first spoon food: rice flour cooked slowly in milk until it is soft, pale and silky. Mothers often make it for breakfast or for a winter afternoon. For babies under one it is served plain; older children get the rosewater, a little sugar and a dusting of cinnamon that the family enjoys. It contains milk; there is no egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: stir with a whisk for the first few minutes, then switch to a spatula so you can scrape the bottom of the pan.

22 min

Persian Breakfast & Brunch

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Persian kotlet (beef and potato patties)

Kotlet is the dish Iranian families make in big batches for school lunches, road trips and Friday picnics in the park: minced beef mixed with grated potato, onion, egg and turmeric, shaped into flat ovals and fried until deep brown and crisp at the edges. They are eaten tucked into lavash or a soft roll with tomato, cucumber pickles and herbs, warm at home and cold the next day. They contain egg and gluten (breadcrumbs). Chef's tip: squeeze the grated onion and potato hard in a cloth; that water is what makes kotlet fall apart in the pan.

50 min

Persian Meat

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Pan chutaAniseed round bread

The small town of Oropesa, half an hour from Cusco, calls itself Peru's bread capital, and its wood-fired bakeries are famous for chuta: big, flat, round loaves as wide as a dinner plate, glossy on top, with a faint sweetness and the warmth of aniseed. Travellers on the road to Puno and Bolivia stop to buy them by the bagful, and families bring them home for All Saints' Day and for sharing with hot coca tea or coffee, fresh cheese and butter. The bakeries traditionally use lard; this version uses vegetable shortening and butter, so it is vegetarian. The make-or-break moment is the proof: chuta is large and flat, and if it goes in under-risen it bakes dense and splits at the rim. Chef's tip: toast the aniseed for a minute in a dry pan and crush it lightly before adding, for a rounder, sweeter perfume.

240 min

Peruvian Breads & Parathas

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Kärntner ReindlingCinnamon raisin yeast cake

Carinthia's Easter loaf takes its name from the Reindl, the round, deep pan it is baked in, and in southern Austria no Easter basket goes to church without one. Inside the golden yeast crust is a spiral of butter, cinnamon sugar and plump raisins, so every slice shows a dark swirl. Locals eat it two ways: sweet with coffee on Easter morning, or alongside the savoury Easter platter with horseradish. Many bakers soak the raisins in rum overnight; warm water or tea works just as well and keeps it alcohol-free. A dry, crumbly Reindling usually means too much flour went in during kneading, so keep the dough soft and only lightly floured. Chef's tip: butter the pan well and dust it with sugar, which caramelises into a thin crunchy shell.

180 min

Austrian Baking

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Ash-e dandooni (Persian first-tooth soup)

When an Iranian baby's first tooth appears, the family cooks a big pot of ash-e dandooni and shares it with relatives and neighbours, who return the bowl with a small gift for the baby. It is a hearty, mild soup of whole wheat, chickpeas, beans and lentils, eaten by the whole family; in some homes the little one gets the soft, mashed grains without salt or toppings. It is free of milk, egg, nuts and soya and contains gluten (wheat). Chef's tip: soak the wheat and pulses together overnight, so everything cooks at the same speed.

120 min

Persian Soups

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ErdäpfelstrudelSavoury potato strudel

Austrians, especially in the Mühlviertel of Upper Austria and the Waldviertel, make savoury strudels as often as sweet ones, and Erdäpfelstrudel is a farmhouse favourite for a meatless Friday or a cold evening. Thin pastry wraps a filling of potatoes, fried onion, sour cream, marjoram and parsley, baked until crisp and golden and sliced with a green salad or a dill and sour-cream dip. Bought filo makes it easy at home. The mistake to avoid is a wet filling, which turns the pastry soggy underneath. Chef's tip: cool the filling completely before rolling; warm filling makes the layers stick and tear.

90 min

Austrian Vegetarian

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Khoresh-e lubia sabzGreen bean and beef stew

Green bean khoresh is the stew Iranian children ask for, cooked in homes from Mashhad to Shiraz through the summer when beans are cheap; Tehran cooks often add a pinch of cinnamon that makes the tomato sauce taste rounder. Beef or lamb simmers until soft, the beans are fried briefly and then cooked in the sauce until tender but still green. Serve it with chelow and a spoon of tahdig on the side. The mistake to avoid is cutting the beans too fine, which turns the stew into mush; 3 cm pieces keep their bite. Chef's tip: fry the beans in a little oil for 5 minutes before they go into the pot, so they keep their colour and taste nutty.

100 min

Persian Curries

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Gheymeh nesarSaffron lamb and nut rice

Qazvin, the old capital west of Tehran, is famous for gheymeh nesar, the jewelled rice served at weddings, engagements and nazri gatherings. Small cubes of lamb cook slowly with onion, saffron and a little rosewater, then are mixed with barberries, slivered pistachios, almonds and candied orange peel and spooned over buttery saffron rice. Serve it with salad shirazi. Barberries burn in seconds and turn bitter, and that is the commonest mistake: fry them over a low heat for one minute only. Contains pistachios, almonds and butter. Chef's tip: cut the lamb into 1 cm dice, much smaller than for a stew, which is what makes this a Qazvin gheymeh nesar rather than a lamb pilaf.

160 min

Persian Rice & Grains

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Kuku bademjanAubergine and walnut egg cake

Kuku bademjan is the picnic kuku of Iran, packed into lavash for Sizdah Bedar, the thirteenth day of Nowruz, when families eat outdoors in parks from Tehran to Shiraz. Charred, smoky aubergine is mashed with garlic, saffron and chopped walnuts, bound with eggs and cooked into a thick, soft-set cake that tastes deep and slightly sweet. Serve it warm or cold with yogurt, bread and herbs. The mistake people make is leaving the aubergine wet; squeeze the cooked flesh in a sieve or the kuku will never set firm. Contains egg and walnuts. Chef's tip: cook the finished mixture in a well-oiled pan with the lid on, then slide it onto a plate and flip it back for the second side, so it browns evenly without drying out.

50 min

Persian Vegetarian

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Kuku gol-kalamCauliflower egg cake

Winter kitchens in Tehran and Isfahan turn cheap cauliflower into kuku gol-kalam, a family supper that is just as good cold the next day, tucked into bread for the office. The cauliflower is boiled soft, crushed with fried onion, turmeric and a little cumin, then bound with eggs into a golden, mild, slightly nutty cake. Serve it with bread, torshi and herbs. Many cooks leave the cauliflower in big chunks, so the kuku crumbles when cut; mash it roughly first. Contains egg. Chef's tip: dry the boiled cauliflower in the hot pan for a minute before mashing, which gets rid of the extra water and keeps the kuku firm.

50 min

Persian Vegetarian

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Khoresh-e kadooCourgette and lamb stew

Kitchens across Iran make khoresh-e kadoo in early summer, when small, firm courgettes pile up in the markets and the Tehran heat calls for a lighter stew than gheymeh. Lamb is simmered with onion, turmeric and dried lime until soft, then fried courgette halves are laid on top to finish in the tangy tomato and saffron sauce. Eat it with chelow and a bowl of mast-o-khiar. The common mistake is adding the courgettes too early: they collapse into mush, so they go in only for the last 20 minutes. Chef's tip: salt the cut courgettes and let them sit for 15 minutes, then pat them dry, so they fry golden instead of soaking up oil.

120 min

Persian Curries

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Khoresh-e kangarCardoon and lamb stew

Kangar, a wild thistle, is gathered in the Alborz foothills above Tehran in April and May, and khoresh-e kangar is the stew people make with it in those few weeks; outside Iran, cardoons or artichoke stems stand in well. The peeled stems are fried, then simmered with lamb, mint, parsley and lemon until tender, giving a green, faintly bitter stew that tastes like artichoke. Serve it with chelow. The common mistake is skipping the peeling and the soak: the stringy outer skin stays tough and the cut stems blacken. Chef's tip: soak the cut stems in water with lemon juice for 30 minutes, which keeps them pale and pulls out much of the bitterness.

140 min

Persian Curries

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Khoresh-e porteghalOrange chicken stew

Mazandaran on the Caspian grows Iran's oranges, and in winter, when bitter Seville oranges and sweet navels are everywhere, families there cook khoresh-e porteghal for guests; it has also become a Tehran wedding-season favourite. Chicken braises in saffron and orange juice with ribbons of candied peel, carrot batons and slivered almonds, giving a jewel-bright stew that is fragrant, sweet and tangy. Serve it with chelow. The usual mistake is leaving the white pith on the peel, which makes the whole pot bitter; slice it off thinly and blanch the strips twice. The dish contains almonds. Chef's tip: a squeeze of Seville orange or lime at the end stops it tasting like marmalade.

90 min

Persian Chicken

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Kabab bakhtiariLamb and chicken kebab

Named after the Bakhtiari tribes of the Zagros mountains but really a creation of Iran's big city kebab houses, kabab bakhtiari puts lamb fillet and saffron chicken side by side on the same skewer, so each person gets both. It is a celebration order in Tehran and Isfahan restaurants, served with buttered chelow and grilled tomatoes. Each meat has its own marinade: onion and pepper for the lamb, saffron, lemon and yogurt for the chicken. The common mistake is cutting both meats to the same size; chicken needs slightly smaller pieces so it cooks through as the lamb reaches pink. Chef's tip: press the lamb and chicken pieces tightly together on the skewer so the juices pass between them as they grill.

165 min

Persian Meat

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Havij poloCarrot rice with chicken

Havij polo is a party rice in Tehran and Isfahan, its orange carrot ribbons and saffron grains making a bright centrepiece at birthday lunches and family gatherings. Carrot batons are fried with a little sugar and cinnamon, layered with parboiled basmati and pieces of braised saffron chicken, and steamed until the rice is fluffy with a golden crust below. Serve it with salad shirazi and yogurt. The common mistake is too much sugar, which makes it taste like dessert; it should be only gently sweet against the savoury chicken. Chef's tip: braise the chicken first and use its reduced juices to moisten the layers, so the rice tastes of it all the way through.

105 min

Persian Rice & Grains

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Kabab tabeiPan-fried minced meat kebab

Kabab tabei is the kebab Iranian students make in a frying pan when there is no grill, and the quick weeknight dinner in flats all over Tehran: minced meat with grated onion and turmeric pressed flat across the pan, cut into strips and fried in its own juices. It tastes like koobideh without the charcoal and is ready in half an hour. Serve it with chelow or bread, pan-fried tomatoes and raw onion. The mistake is a cold pan, which makes the meat stew; heat it well first and don't move the slab until it has browned. Chef's tip: once the first side is cooked, tip in halved tomatoes around the meat; they soften in the juices and become the sauce.

30 min

Persian Meat

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Ash-e haft danehSeven-grain soup

Ash-e haft daneh, the soup of seven seeds, is cooked as nazri, a votive offering, on Tasua and Ashura in Muharram, when families in Tehran, Kashan and Yazd stir huge cauldrons in the street and share bowls with neighbours and passers-by. Wheat, barley, rice, chickpeas, beans, lentils and mung beans cook slowly into a thick, nutty soup with herbs, topped with fried onion and mint. Serve it in bowls with bread. The mistake is adding all the grains together; they cook at different speeds, so the hard ones go in first. Chef's tip: soak everything except the rice and lentils overnight, each in its own bowl, and you'll cut the cooking time by an hour.

170 min

Persian Soups

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Ash-e joBarley and chickpea soup

Ash-e jo is a winter staple in Tehran, Kashan and the cold cities of the plateau, and many families cook a huge pot in the month of Ramadan to break the fast. Pearl barley simmers with chickpeas, beans and lentils until it turns creamy, then plenty of herbs and a swirl of kashk make it tangy, savoury and filling. Serve it hot with bread and extra kashk at the table. The common mistake is skipping the soaking, which leaves the chickpeas hard long after the barley has gone to mush; soak them overnight. Kashk contains dairy. Chef's tip: the soup thickens a lot as it stands, so make it a day ahead and loosen it with hot water as you reheat.

140 min

Persian Soups

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Kuku-ye morghSaffron chicken egg cake

Tehran families take kuku-ye morgh to the mountains of Darband and Tochal on Friday outings, cut into wedges and stuffed into lavash with tomato and pickled cucumber. Poached chicken is shredded, mixed with golden onion, saffron and eggs, and cooked into a thick, moist cake that holds together for sandwiches. Serve it warm or cold with yogurt and herbs. The mistake is overcooking the chicken before it goes in, which leaves the kuku dry and stringy; poach it gently just to temperature. Contains egg. Chef's tip: add 2 tablespoons of the poaching broth to the eggs; it keeps the kuku juicy even the next day.

55 min

Persian Chicken

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Chenjeh kababSaffron lamb kebab

Chenjeh, chunks of lamb grilled on wide flat skewers, is the kebab of the roadside restaurants on the road to Mashhad and the Friday grills of Tehran, where whole families queue for it with bread and grilled tomatoes. The meat marinates in grated onion, yogurt and saffron until tender, then cooks fast over hot coals so it is charred outside and juicy within. Serve it with chelow and butter, or lavash, sumac and grilled tomatoes. The usual mistake is cutting the pieces too small, so they dry out before they char; 3–4 cm cubes are right. Chef's tip: strain the grated onion and use only its juice in the marinade, so no onion bits burn on the grill.

175 min

Persian Meat

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Khoresh-e aluChicken and prune stew

Khoresh-e alu is a dinner-party stew in Tehran, made for guests in winter when it can sit on the stove and wait; the prunes and a spoonful of vinegar give it the gentle sweet-sour balance Tehranis love. Chicken thighs brown with a big heap of fried onion and saffron, then braise slowly with black prunes until the sauce is dark, glossy and sticky. Serve with chelow or saffron rice and a crisp salad shirazi. People often stir the stew hard once the prunes are in, and they split and cloud the sauce; turn the chicken gently instead. Chef's tip: fry the onion slowly until truly brown, not just golden, because that colour is most of the flavour.

90 min

Persian Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

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