Nov 05
I didn’t know of this dish until I became friends with plenty of people from Shiraz. Its a vary tasty Persian recipe that can be eaten with Koofteh (meatballs) or chicken. The Shevid Loobia (Loobia Polo Shirazi) I have explained below is made with Koofteh (meatballs). Also, a key item that adds a sweet and sour taste is the Rob va Shireh (a pomegranate and sugar syrup) that is poured over the Shevid Loobia rice.
Shevid Loobia
Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
3 cups rice –rinse rice and soak in warm water for 2-3 hours, add salt to the water
1 cup black eye peas –I used Persian black eye peas from Shiraz that are extremely tiny, so I used less than 1 cup of black eye peas — rinse the beans and soak in cold water for 2-3 hours
1 large onion –half to be grated for the ground beef and half to be chopped up
.75 lb to 1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup Shevid (dill) — dry dill or fresh dill
turmeric
salt/pepper
pomegranate paste — desired amount (the more you use the more sour your syrup will be)
sugar –desired amount (the more you use the sweeter your syrup will be)
3/4 cup water
oil
Loobia Polo Shirazi
Directions:
For the Koofteh (meatballs) — in a bowl add the grated onion, ground beef, some turmeric powder, salt, pepper, and any other desired spices. Mix ingredients well. In a frying pan heat up oil (medium heat) and add the chopped onion. Begin forming tiny meatballs and placing it in the frying pan. Once all the Koofteh is prepared stir the contents around and then place the lid on top of the frying pan. Leave the heat on a medium-low temperature and all the meatballs to cook.
In a small pot boil some water and add the loobia (beans). Allow them to cook on a medium heat for 20-30 minutes (or until soft) then drain out water in a strainer.
Shevid Loobia
In a large pot bring water to a boil and add the loobia into this pot, then add the rice. Allow the rice to boil and then you want to strain the contents and drain out the water. If you are using fresh dill you will need to add it into the pot as well. Return the pot to the stove top and add 1/2 a cup water to the pot and some oil. If using dry dill add half of the rice to the pot then sprinkle the dill over the rice and cover with the remaining rice. Place a towel or cloth over the lid of the pot and place it on the pot. The stove top temperature should be on high, and once steam begins leaving the sides of the pot you will take the temperature down to low. Leave on the stove top for over 45 minutes (the longer it stays the crispier your tah digh will become).
In a small pot you need to pour in the water (3/4 cup) and bring it to a boil. Add the amount of sugar you prefer and stir, then add some robeh anar (pomegranate paste). You will end up with a syrup that has a sweet and sour taste and goes very well with Shevid Loobia (Loobia Polo Shirazi).
When the Shevid Loobia polo (rice) is done you want to mix together the dill with the rice as you are taking it out of the pot. Serve with the koofteh and pomegranate/sugar syrup. If you choose you can add some saffron to the a bit of the rice and sprinkle it on top of the rice in the serving dish. Its best to not pour the syrup over all the Shevid Loobia, but to allow everyone to add it themselves to the Shevid Loobia in their plates.
Tagged with: Beef • Black Eye Peas • Dill • Pomegranate Paste • Sugar
Nov 03
This Persian recipe for Koofteh Rizeh (small meatballs) is a simple and fairly quick dish to make. It is typically served with bread, but if you are trying to cut back on your bread intake it tastes just as good on its own!
Koofteh Rizeh
Ingredients for serving 2-4 people:
.75 to 1 lb ground beef
2 large potatoes
1 large onion
turmeric
lemon juice
salt/pepper
coriander (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
oil
Directions:
Chop the potatoes up into cubes and fry in a frying pan, then place aside until the Koofteh is ready.
To prepare the Koofteh Rizeh, place the ground beef in a bowl and grate (randeh) half of the onion onto the meat. Add turmeric, salt, pepper, and if desired half a teaspoon of coriander (powder). Mix the ingredients well and then prepare the frying pan before forming meat balls.
Add some oil to the frying pan or a pot (with lid) and then chop up the remaining onion and saute in the oil on medium heat. Begin forming the Kooftehs (meatballs) and placing them in the frying pan/or pot. After all the Kooftehs are formed you want to use a spatula to move around the Koofteh (meatballs) in the pan. Once the Kooftehs are ready add the potatoes and stir the contents. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to 1 1/2 cups boiling water and mix. Pour this liquid over the Koofteh Rizeh and stir. Add a desired amount of lemon juice and cover the pan or pot with the lid. Take the heat down to medium-low and allow the contents to cook until most of the water is gone. It may take 20-30 minutes for the Koofteh Rizeh to be completely ready. Note: If needed you can partially place the lid on the pan or pot to allow the steam to escape the pot; therefore, making the cooking time shorter.
Tagged with: Beef • Coriander • Potatoes
Oct 26
This was my very first attempt at making Haleem Bademjoon (a delicious eggplant Persian recipe) 
I used ground beef for my recipe, but many people use lamb or beef that they cook and then mash up. I will try that at another time, but this time I tried to go the easier route and use ground beef to simplify the cooking.
Haleem bademjoon
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
approximately 1 lb ground beef
1 cup kashk — found typically in a Persian (Iranian) Grocery store, or some Middle Eastern store)
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons dry mint
oil
salt/pepper
turmeric
250 grams lentils
Directions:
Chop the onions up and fry in oil in a pot. Once the onions start turning a golden brown color take out about half and place aside for later use. Add the ground beef and lentils to the remaining onions in the pot and stir. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper and continue stirring. Add 1-2 cups of water and cover with a lid and allow the meat to cook for 40 to 50 minutes on medium heat. If it starts to dry up you can add a little more water.
Haleem Bademjoon
Peel the eggplants and chop them up length wise. Add salt to the eggplants and in a frying pan heat up oil on medium-high heat. Fry the eggplants on both sides until golden. Once all the eggplants pieces are fried you want to throw them in a food processor or mash them up some other way. Then add the mashed mixture to the meat mixture and stir in and mash everything together. Add a cup of water if there is not enough water and the mixture seems too dry. You want to cook over a medium-low heat for at least an hour and stir occasionally until no water is left. Halfway through I took half of the mixture and poured it into my blender to puree and get a smoother mixture. You may want to leave the lid off the pot to make sure the water evaporates. Keep in mind that after you allow the Haleem Bademjoon to cool down it will thicken as well. Once the Haleem Bademjoon is cooked remove the mix from the heat and add the kashk. Mix the contents well and then pour into a serving dish.
Fry the onions you put aside a bit more until a darker golden brown (piaz dagh–fried onion). Fry the dry mint in oil as well. Sprinkle the fried onions and fried mint over the Haleem Bademjoon in the serving dish and you are done! Serve with bread
Note: Be careful with the amount of water you use, especially if you are going to puree the mixture it may take a lot longer for all the water to evaporate. I ran into this problem and had to let it cook for a long time just to get most of the water to evaporate.
Tagged with: Beef • Eggplants • Kashk • Mint
