Persian Herb Rice (Sabzi Polo)

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c basmati rice
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 2/3 c water
2 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 c mixture of fresh herbs ( cilantro, mint, chives, and/or flat-leaf parsley),finely minced


1. Place rice in a bowl and cover with water.Swish around and discard water.Repeat.

2. Place yogurt in a medium bowl and thin with a little water then add the 2 2/3 c water and mix.

3. Place the rice in a saucepan. Add the yogurt/water, salt and pieces of butter.

4.Bring rice to a boil.Then let simmer until the water is half absorbed and steam begins escaping
through holes in the rice.

5. Add the herbs and fluff the rice till evenly distributed throughout. Cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes.

6. Remove rice from saucepan and place in serving dish.Serve.

Zereshk Polo (Persian Barberry Rice)

Here's another delightful recipe from the Persian kitchen using barberries(zereshk), the sweet and tart berries that give Persian rice dishes their distinctive taste.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
2 oz barberries
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1/3 c black currants or raisins
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 3/4 c basmati rice, soaked for 2 hours
2-3 saffron threads,soaked in 1 Tbsp. boiling water
salt

1. Rinse the barberries in cold water, then drain.
2.Heat the butter in a pan and add the currants or raisins,if using.Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
3.Add the barberries and continue stir-frying for another minute. Add the sugar , cinnamon and cumin.Cook for about 2-3minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
4.Drain the rice and then bring to a boil it in a pan of salted water for 5 minutes.Reduce the heat and simmer until almost cooked.
5. Remove rice from heat and transfer to a large serving dish. Add the barberry-raisin mixture and saffron water to it and mix till well combined. Serve immediately.

Sheveed Polow (Persian Rice with Dill)

An annual plant that is native to the Eastern Meditteranean as well as Southern Russia and Western Asia, dill is known for its clean anise, lemon aroma.Dill is a very popular herb in Persian cooking where it is used in rice dishes as Baghali Polow or more simply in Sheveed Polow.Below is the recipe for Sheveed Polow.In Iran, it is often served dried, preserved salted fish from the Caspian sea but it goes well with any meat or khoresh.

Yeild:4-6

Ingredients:

2 1/2c long-grain rice

4c water

1-2 tsp. salt

a bunch of fresh dill, chopped

1. Bring the water to a boil .Add salt. Add the dill then the rice.

2.Reduce heat and let simmer until all the water is absorbed by the rice.

3.Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.Serve immediately.

Koshary (Egyptian Lentil, Pasta, Rice Dish)

Koshary comes from the Hindi kishri meaning an "unlikely mixture".It is a popular traditional Egyptian dish consisting of a layer of rice, brown lentils, chickpeas, elbow pasta toppped with garlic, vinegar and spicy hot sauce garnished with caramelized onions.It is a very poopular and inexpensive dish consumed throughout Egypt at any time of day.It is sold by street vendors and restaurants that sell koshary only.

6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 c white rice, cooked

1 lb. elbow macaroni pasta, cooked

2 c brown lentils, cooked

2 c chickpeas, cooked

For the Salsa:

2 onions, sliced thinly

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 Tbsp. white vinegar

2c tomatoe puree

1 tsp. cumin

pinch of salt

pinch of cumin

pinch of black pepper

For the caramelized onions:

3 onions, roughly chopped

2 c vegetable oil

For the garlic & vinegar Sauce:

1 Tbsp. garlic, crushed

pinch of salt

4 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/2 c water

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. cumin

For the hot Sauce:

1 tsp. garlic, crushed

pinch of salt

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. chili flakes

1 chili pepper, finely chopped

1. Cook the rice, pasta, lentils , and chickpeas according to instructions on package. Set aside individually.



2. For the salsa, add the chopped onions to the hot oil and saute until golden, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar and continue cooking for another minute. Add the tomatoe puree, cumin, salt, and black pepper.Cook until the tomatoe sauce thickens.Then set aside and keep warm.



3. For the caramelized onions.Heat the oil on a pan and add the onions and saute , stirring frequently until golden brown and crispy.Set aside on a paper towel to drain.Keep warm.



4. For the garlic and vinegar sauce, add vinegar, water, lemon juice,and cumin to garlic and mix well.Set aside.



5. For the hot sauce, mix garlic with salt, set aside.Heat vegetable oil and add chili flakes and stir.Add chili pepper and garlic mixture and stir till well combined.Remove from heat and set aside.



6. In a large dish, layer the rice, pasta,lentils, chickpeas, salsa, and caramelized onions on top of eachother.Serve with the garlic/vinegar and hot sauce on the side.

Mahmous Rubyan (Shrimp with Garlic and Cilantro)

This dish is popular all over the Arab Gulf States.It is usually served with rice and Arab flatbread.It is the perfect dish for when you are in a rush because it takes about 30 minutes to put together and prepare.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp.Baharat spice

handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 Tbsp.salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled & deveined

basmati rice, to serve

Arab flatbread, to serve

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add the onions and stir for about 5 minutes.Add the garlic, cardamom,Baharat,cilantro, salt, and pepper.Keep stirring for another 8 minutes.


2. Add shrimp and continue stirring untill all the shrimp turn pink, 8-10 minutes.Remove from heat.


3. Serve with basmati rice and Arab flatbread.

Cardamom Scented Chicken with Mushroom Rice Pilaf

This is the dish that I turn to when its almost approaching dinner time and I can't really make up my mind on what to eat.Luckily, I always have these ingredients on hand , so it just takes me 15 minutes to throw all these things together and its ready within the hour.This is one of my favorite dishes because its so easy to put together so I end up having it 1-2 times a week.

Serves 4

4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts

1Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped(can subs. with red)

1/2 brown onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

1/2 Tbsp. cardamom

3 oz. cold water

2 c water

1/8 tbsp. of the following spices:ground cloves,ground cinammon

1 bay leaf

1 c uncooked brown rice

1c white mushrooms, sliced

knob of butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a baking dish and place chicken breasts in it.
2. Combine tomatoes,bell pepper,onion, and garlic in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.Spread mixture on top and all around chicken breasts.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and cardamom throughout. And add the water to baking dish to keep chicken moist.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
5. For the rice pilaf, in a medium saucepan, combine the water with the spices and bay leaf.Bring to a boil;add the rice.Reduce heat;simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until rice is tender.
6. While rice is cooking,coat a nonstick pan with the butter and saute mushrooms until soft and fragrant.Remove from heat and set aside.When rice is ready, stir into rice mixture.