This type of Shami is a bit different than the other types I have made. Even though it is fried and all like kotlet and shami, at the end Torsh Shami is cooked with tomato sauce which then it becomes soft. Its really good and goes well with bread and sabzi, or rice. You can even eat it plain.
Ingredients (4-6 people):
1 lb ground beef
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste or 3-4 cups tomato juice
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
salt/pepper –desired amount
turmeric (optional) –just a tad
Directions:
In a bowl mix salt, pepper, turmeric, and the plain breadcrumbs with the milk. Grate the onion then mix the grated onion, eggs, and baking soda with the mixture of breadcrumbs and milk. Then add the ground meat to the mixture and mix all the ingredients real well.
Pour some oil in a frying pan and place it on the stove top (medium heat). Take small amounts of the Shami mixture and create round balls from it (should be the size of a tangerine). Flatten the ball in your hand and add a hole in the center. Place the Shami into the frying pan and fry both sides. Once the Shami’s are fried place them in a different pan, or in a plate for the time being.
Torsh Shami
Once all the Shami’s are fried and set aside create the tomato sauce. If you are using tomato juice then add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the juice. If you are using tomato paste mix 2 cups of hot water with the tomato paste (dissolve the tomato paste in the hot water) then add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Place all the Shami’s in a pan and pour the tomato sauce over the them. Place the pan on the stove (medium heat) until the tomato sauce thickens and the Shami’s fully cook (especially in the center, allow the Shami to become “Maghz Pokht”). This should take about 30-45 minutes.
Then serve the Torsh Shami with sabzi, bread, torshi, etc.
This Persian recipe is apparently served the night before Norouz in many households. However, this was the first time I had ever heard of anything other than Sabzi Polo ba Mahi being served around Norouz. Either way I made Reshteh Polo and must say I liked it! And the good news is you can adjust some of the ingredients to your liking.
Rreshteh Polo
Ingredients (2-4 servings):
3 cups rice
100-120 grams Reshteh Poloee –this is Reshteh that has been roasted. You can buy raw Reshteh and roast it yourself, or buy the ready package. Both are found in Persian Grocery Stores…sometimes in international stores. Note: Reshteh resembles Vermicelli
saffron
oil
stew meat, chicken, or fish — I used .5 lb stew meat for this specific recipe
dates (khorma) –Optional
raisins –Optional
1 small onion
turmeric
salt/pepper
Directions:
Rinse and wash your rice then soak it in water (add salt as well). If you plan on using dates wash the dates and take out the seeds from the centers. If you plan on using raisins wash them too.
Cut up the onion. Cut up your meat if its not already cut into pieces. Add some oil in a pot (set temperature of burner to medium) and fry the onions until they begin turning a golden color. Add the meat and stir. After a few minutes add salt, pepper, and turmeric to the meat and stir the contents. Add about 1 cup of water to the meat and cover the pot with a lid and allow the meat to cook for 35-45 minutes on medium heat.
Once the meat is ready set the meat aside and strain a bit of the stock. Add a small amount of saffron to the stock and oil if needed then set aside. Then break up the Reshteh Poloee into smaller pieces (not too small and not too long).
Fill up a large pot halfway with water and place it on the stove (high heat). Once the water comes to a boil add the rice and salt water to the pot. Allow the rice to begin coming to a boil and then add the reshteh into the pot. You want to allow the reshteh to soften a bit. Once the contents in the pot begin coming to a boil again you want to use a strainer to empty the rice and reshteh. Add some oil and water to the pot and place it back on the burner (the heat is still on high).
Note: some people don’t place the pot back on the burner until they have returned the contents to the pot. If that is the case you will place the lid on the pot and allow steam to gather before placing a towel or cloth (damee) on the lid of the pot and allowing the polo to steam.
Add half the Reshteh Polo to the pot and then add the meat, raisins (optional), and dates (optional). Afterwards add the remaining Reshteh Polo on top of the meat and other contents. Pour the stock over the Reshteh Polo. Cover the lid of the pot with a cloth or towel and place on the pot. Once steam begins escaping from the sides of the lid take the temperature down to low and allow the Reshteh Polo to cook an additional 40 min. - 1 hour.
When you are ready to serve mix some saffron with hot water and add some of the Reshteh Polo to it. Once you have all the Reshteh Polo in a serving platter you can add the saffron rice on top of the dish.
There are a few different styles that are used to make rice. There is the style where you strain the rice after it cooks a bit and then allow it to cook more after it steams (or as we say “dam mikeshe”). Another style is where the rice is not strained, but cooks with the water and once the water evaporates the rice is allowed to cook longer after it steams.
I typically strain my rice and here is the recipe I will share with you.
Video Recipe:
Regular Recipe:
Ingredients (4-6 people):
4-5 cups rice
oil or butter
water
salt
saffron (optional) –this would be used to give color to a small amount of rice that will then decorate the top of your rice when you serve it
Directions:
Wash your rice well and then pour cool water onto the rice and add salt to the water. Allow the rice to soak for at least 2 hours in this salt-water.
Fill a pot (medium to large size pot) halfway with water. Place the pot on the stove burner and set the temperature to high. Once the water comes to a boil add the rice along with the salt-water into the pot. Keep the temperature on high and allow the rice to come to a boil. While the rice is boiling you may wish to remove some of the foam with a spoon. As the rice begins to rise and come to a boil you can add a bit of cold water to it. This will elongate the rice. If you do this allow the rice to come to a boil again (still remove foam). This time when the rice comes to a boil empty the rice into a strainer.
Set the pot back on the stove top with the temperature still set to high (if you want you can bring the temperature to medium-high if you plan on adding lavash or potatoes for the tah dig). Add water and oil to the pot and allow them to heat up. Note: if you do plan on using lavash or potatoes for the tah dig add a bit more oil or butter. Once the oil and water is heated empty the rice in the strainer into the pot. Use a large spoon to gather the rice in the center of the pot. Place a cloth or towel on the lid of the pot and cover the pot.
Once steam begins escaping the sides of the lid bring the temperature down to low. Note: don’t bring the temperature done the moment steam begins escaping…wait until its escaping from a few locations all around and at a faster rate before turning the heat to low.
Depending on the amount of tah dig you want allow the rice to cook for at least 40 minutes to over 1 hour.
There are a variety of different Polo recipes that follow this basic process with a few added steps due to added ingredients. Also, most of the khoreshts (stews) go well with this type of Polo (rice).
