Nov 16

This is a simple form of Khoreshte Esfenaj. Many people use Tareh (or green onions if no Tareh is available) and/or Aloo (prune) in the Khoresht as well (known as Khoreshte Aloo Esfenaj).  You can make the Khoresht (stew) with chicken or lamb meat.

Khoreshte Esfenaj ba Morgh

Khoreshte Esfenaj ba Morgh

Ingredients (4-6 servings):
500 grams chopped spinach — I decided to use frozen chopped spinach
2 chicken breasts cut into pieces –you can opt to choose chicken thighs or lamb meat
1 small onion chopped up
oil
salt/pepper
turmeric
lemon juice
aloo (optional) — I added 3-4 prunes (aloo khoshk)
approximately 2 cups water

Khoresht Esfenaj

Khoresht Esfenaj

Directions:
In a pot fry the chopped onions in oil until they turn a light golden color and become tender. Add in the chicken and stir. Add salt, pepper, and turmeric. Stir the chicken around for a few minutes then add the spinach to the pot. Whether you are using fresh or frozen spinach after you add the spinach to the pot you can stir around/fry the spinach a bit or just go ahead and add the water. After adding the water, add the lemon juice and prunes then cover the pot and allow the Khoreshte Esfenaj to cook for 1 - 1 1/2 hours on medium heat…cooking time depends on how much water you want the Khoresht to have as well.

Serve with rice.

3 people like this post.
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Share/Bookmark
Tagged with:
Oct 25

This is a favorite Aash in Shiraz…and even though it is called Aash e Sabzi it actually has only two types of greens in it with a bunch of other things! The name Aash-e Sabzi refers to a  soup of greens, but like I said it only has two things that are considered green vegetables in it. The amount of Aash-e Sabzi based on the ingredients below is for a large pot, which can serve and fill up at least 10 people.

Aash-e Sabzi

Aash-e Sabzi

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs Lamb meat — I bought lamb arm chops, but supposedly the best meat to use is the neck meat from the neck area
1 medium onion
1 cup garbanzo beans –you can use dry or from a can (make sure you drain the water and rinse if you use from a can)
1 cup black eye peas
1 cup lentils
3 cups rice
150 grams Tareh –in place of Tareh I used the ends of green onions (the green parts) …you will need 150 grams of the green parts
80 - 100 grams Tarragon (Tarkhoon) –if you put too much it might become bitter
turmeric
salt/pepper
3 tablespoons fried onion (piaz dagh)
2 tablespoons fried dry mint (nana dagh)

Directions:
In a pot, place the meat, the chopped up onion, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cover with water. Place on stove on medium temperature and allow the meat to fully cook. Once the meat is cooked put it aside and allow it to cool (keep the water in the pot for later use). When the meat is cooled down you can remove any bones and then throw it in the food processor for it to become shredded. If you prefer you can use ground up meat to not have to use a food processor. Add some of the onions to the food processor as well (onions from the pot you made the meat in).

In a separate pot pour in your three cups dry rice and cover with water and allow it to cook on a medium temperature.

In a large pot (the pot you plan on making the aash Sabzi in) pour in the garbanzo beans, lentils, and black eye peas and cover with water. Allow the beans to cook on a medium temperature. Place the lid on the pot and allow the contents to cook.Once the garbanzo beans are soft take out at least half of them (or as much as possible) and mash them up a bit with a spoon and then return them to the pot.

The rice should now be fully cooked and may have lost some of its shape/form. Add the rice to the large pot with beans in it and stir. You may need to add more water at this time. Take the lamb meat you have shredded in the food processor (or blender) and add it to the soup (Aash). Add as much of the meat broth you like to the soup. Place the lid back on the pot and allow all contents to cook. If needed add more water.

Clean your green onion ends (green parts) and tarragon and then use the food processor to chop them up a bit. After about 2 hours of the Aash boiling and cooking add in the sabzi (green vegetables) and a bit of salt to taste. You don’t want to add the pepper now, you typically add that at the end for the aroma. Add more water if needed, stir contents, and then place the lid back on top.

After another hour of the Aash-e Sabzi cooking you may want to pour half the contents in a blender and puree (or in a food processor). Return the contents to the pot and stir together. Allow the soup to then cook for another hour until it is fully prepared and then add some pepper at least 30 minutes prior to serving. If you plan on serving at a later time, make sure you heat up the Aash at least 1 hour prior to serving. In the event that you are reheating the contents of the pot you may need to add a tad bit of water so it is not too thick.

Decorate with the fried onion (to a golden brown color) and mint and place pepper on the table for anyone who wishes to add more (many people add loads of black pepper to this Aash-e Sabzi…must be a shirazi thing ;) ).

Enjoy!

5 people like this post.
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Share/Bookmark
Tagged with:
Sep 15

Many times Abgoosht is referred to as Dizi, but this has to do with the dish it is cooked in. For many of us we use pots, slow cookers, or even pressure cookers for convenience and the amount of time we have. The traditional recipe for Abgoosht is what I am sharing with you here.

goosht-Abgoosht

Ingredients:
Lamb meat ba ostokhan (with bones), or other meat as long as it has bones.
3-4 potatoes (depending on size of potatoes)
1 medium onion
Salt/Pepper
Turmeric
1 cup Nokhod (garbanzo beans)
1 cup lobiya sefid (white beans)
1-2 Limoo Amani (dried limes)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
Lemon Juice (optional)
Cinnamon

Directions:

These directions are specific to a pressure cooker, but may be modified for a regular pot or slow cooker.

tilit-Abgoosht

Place the meat, onion, white beans, garbanzo beans, and dried lime(s) in the pressure cooker. Pour in water to cover everything, you may just want to pour in the water used to soak the beans and maybe some more if its not enough. Cover the pot and place it on med. heat. Once it steams you can release some of the steam, but allow it to stay on the stove for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes you will open the pressure cooker (steam will need to be released first if not done so completely). Add the washed potatoes (do not peel the skin off yet), tomato paste, and a little bit of cinnamon. At this time if you feel it is necessary you can add some lemon juice.
Cover the pressure cooker again and allow everything to cook for another 15 minutes on med. heat (it should steam up). Once it has steamed up, let the steam out and open up the pressure cooker.
When ready to serve you will pour the water into a separate bowl and then prepare the meat to be mashed up.

Preparing the Mashed meat (goosht koobideh):
You will peel the skin off the potatoes, clean the meat off the bones, and take out the dried limes. Mash the meat, potatoes (maybe not all the potatoes), and beans all together. Then you can pour some of the water on it is you desire. It is ready to eat with bread.

Preparing the tilit (water/bread):
You will want to tear up pieces of pita or barbari bread (or a combination) and pour the water over the bread. The bread pieces become soaked and this part of Abgoosht is called Tilit.

Note: The maghz (center) of the bones is really good. When I was young my siblings and I used to fight over who gets to eat it…in fact we still do. So if you want to extract it after you are separating everything, beat the contents of the bone out.

12 people like this post.
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Share/Bookmark
Tagged with:
preload preload preload