Dec 18

Kotlet-e Morgh (Chicken patties)

By Persian Recipes Light Persian Meals 2 Comments »

If you want to eat something light and tasty that is void of rice I would definitely recommend Kotlet-e Morgh. You can eat it plain or with bread and its very filling! It tastes good hot or cold!

Kotlet e Morgh

Kotlet e Morgh

Ingredients (4-6 people):
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
2 large onions
2 large potatoes
3-4 eggs
turmeric
oil
salt/pepper
plain bread crumbs

Directions:
Chop up one of the onions and fry in oil in a large pot. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper to the onions then add the chicken breasts (you can cut them up or leave them whole). Cover the chicken with water and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes (or until fully cooked). After the chicken is cooked take the pieces out and place on a plate to cool down.

Using a food processor (or a blender) you will further shred up the chicken. Once it is cooled down place all the chicken pieces in the food processor then empty the shredded chicken into a bowl. Add the remaining onion to the food processor too (you should cut the onion up into smaller pieces first). Make sure to squeeze out the water from the onion (as much as possible) before adding it to the chicken in the bowl. Peel the potatoes, chop them up into smaller pieces and add them to the food processor as well. Then add the potatoes to the bowl.

Add some plain bread crumbs (approximately 3 tablespoons), salt, pepper, turmeric, and 3 eggs to the contents within the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well and make sure to really mash the ingredients together. You want the mixture to stick together, so if needed add another egg to help with that if you feel 3 were not enough. I only used 3 eggs and really mashed the mixture well tell it stuck together real good.

Heat up oil in a skillet. Pour some plain bread crumbs into a plate. Form a round ball from the mixture and coat it in bread crumbs then flatten it out in your hand (it will form an almost oval shape). Place the Kotlet in the frying pan and then form another until there is no room in the pan. Allow each Kotlet to become a nice golden brown color and then flip them over for the top to fry as well. Keep repeating this process until all the Kotlet-e Morgh mixture is finished and each Kotlet is fried.

Note: you may choose to use ground chicken breast, but I think the taste is far better when you actually cook the chicken first, then shred the chicken.

Serve with bread, other condiments (ie, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, ketchup…), or eat it plain.

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Nov 10

Koofteh Berenji (Rice Meatball)

By Persian Recipes Koofteh No Comments »

I finally got around to making Koofteh Berenji, which is a very tasty Persian recipe that mixes ground beef, aromatic green vegetables, and rice!

Koofteh Berenji

Koofteh Berenji

One thing to note is that some of the aromatic green vegetables (Sabzi moatar) are not easily found (i.e., Reyhan and Tareh). I used a bit of Cilantro in place of Reyhan since I didn’t have dry or fresh Reyhan. And as I have mentioned in other recipes, in place of Tareh you can use the ends of green onions. But if you happen to have these ingredients definitely use them :)

Ingredients (makes 6 large Koofteh Berenji’s):
1 lb ground beef –lean ground beef (kam charbi) is better
1 lb aromatic green vegetables : mint, Reyhan (if you have it), Tarragon (Tarkhan), Green onions (the ends in place of Tareh; unless you have Tareh), and Parsley. I used Cilantro in place of Reyhan.
2 onions — 1 to be grated and added to the ground beef, the other to be chopped up for Piaz dagh (fried onion)
1 cup rice
1 cup split yellow peas
3 eggs
turmeric
salt/pepper
lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon (or less) baking powder or baking soda
zereshk (barberries)
crushed walnuts

Mixing the ingredients for Koofteh Berenji

Mixing the ingredients for Koofteh Berenji

Forming the Koofteh Berenji

Forming the Koofteh Berenji

Directions:
Boil some water in a small pot and add the rice. Once the rice boils use a strainer to drain the water. In a small pot boil water and add the split yellow peas and allow them to boil and then use a strainer to drain the water.

Chop up all the Sabzi (green vegetables), you can use a food processor to chop them up as well. In a large bowl, mix in the grated onion, turmeric, salt, and pepper with the ground beef. Add the rice, split yellow peas, and the green vegetables to the ground beef and mix all the ingredients. Add the baking powder (or baking soda) and the three eggs and mix the ingredients. If you desire you can add a bit more salt and pepper.

In a pot go ahead and saute the chopped onion. Once the onion has turned a golden color take out half the onions. Add 2 cups of water into the pot and set the stove top heat to medium. Mix some zereshk (barberries) and walnuts with the fried onions you took out of the pot. Once the water boils begin forming large round balls and insert bits of the zereshk, walnuts, and fried onions mix into the center.

Insert zereshk, walnuts, and fried onion into center

Insert zereshk, walnuts, and fried onion into center

Cooking the Koofteh Berenjis in water

Cooking the Koofteh Berenjis in water

Note: you can poke a hole to the center of the ball and add the mixture of zereshk, walnut, and fried onion then cover over the hole.

After all the Koofteh Berenji’s are formed and in the pot add the tomato paste and some lemon juice. Make sure the Koofteh Berenji’s are covered with water, if needed add more water to make sure they are all covered. Place the lid on the pot and allow it to cook for 45 minutes.

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Oct 30

Kookoo Sabzi

By Persian Recipes Kookoo 1 Comment »

This is a simple Kookoo Sabzi recipe…there are a few different ingredients that can be added to vary the Kookoo Sabzi. Kookoo is considered a souffle and Kookoo Sabzi is a vegetable souffle with various green vegetables mixed in with eggs (and a few other things) and then cooked.

Kookoo Sabzi

Kookoo Sabzi

Ingredients:
2 packages (baste) Parsley
2 packages Cilantro
1/2 package spinach
2 packages green onions –only use the ends where it is green in place of Tareh
1 - 2 tablespoons dill (dry or fresh)
Garlic — finely diced or grated
4 eggs
Turmeric
Salt/pepper — dont add too much salt because it can become bitter
a pinch of Baking powder
oil

Directions:
After cleaning and rinsing the sabzi (vegetables) you want to chop them up…can use a food processor to simplify the task. Note: I typically let the vegetables soak in water for at least 30 minutes before rinsing them to make sure all the dirt is removed. In a bowl add the chopped vegetables, garlic, turmeric, a little salt, pepper, baking powder, and then the eggs. Mix all ingredients well.

Kookoo Sabzi

Kookoo Sabzi

In a frying pan (that has a lid) pour in a good amount of oil. Put on the stove on a medium- high heat and once the oil is heated add the mixed ingredients and flatten out in the pan. After a few minutes bring the temperature to medium and place the lid on the frying pan. After about 15 minutes you want to cut up the Kookoo Sabzi into 4 or more pieces and then flip it over for the other side to fry as well. You should notice a darker green color to the side that is fried…if needed you can allow it to fry a bit longer before flipping it over. When you flip it over you will cover the frying pan with the lid again and allow it to cook another 15 - 20 minutes.

You can serve the Kookoo Sabzi with bread or with Sabzi Polo. In fact many times I have eaten Sabzi Polo ba Mahi and Kookoo Sabzi. Very tasty :)

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