Feb 24

Dami-e Baghala

By Persian Recipes Polo (Rice) No Comments »

I think as far as dami dishes go Dami-e Baghala is one of my favorites. I don’t know if its because of the turmeric flavor the rice gets, or the fact that the rice gets so soft. I typically buy frozen or dry lima beans to make dishes that need baghali in them, but you can buy fresh baghali if you feel like it.

Dami-e Baghali

Dami-e Baghali

Ingredients (4-6 people):
3 cups rice
1 small/medium onion –finely chopped up
1 - 1.5 teaspoon turmeric (zardchoobeh)
250 - 300 grams dry or frozen lima beans –I buy baby lima beans
salt
1/4 - 1/2 oil
water
50-70 grams raisins (optional)

Directions:
Heat up about oil in a large pot and add the onions to fry. Stove top burner should be on medium temperature. Fry the onions until they become a golden color then add the turmeric and stir. Add 2 to 3 cups of water then wash the lima beans (if necessary) then add to the pot once the water. After adding the baghali to the pot add some salt and then cover the pot with a lid and allow the beans to cook for awhile.

After about 20 minutes wash the rice and then add to the pot along with 3 - 3.5 cups of water. Stir all the contents together and take the burner down to a medium-low temperature. Allow the contents to cook and the water to evaporate. If you wish to add raisins, wash the raisins, then add then to the center of the rice (open the center of the rice and add the raisins). After most of the water is evaporated put a towel over the lid and put it over the pot and allow the rice to prepare and “dam bekeshe” for approximately 1 hour.

Note: The more water you add the stickier the rice will be as well. So if you want the rice to be a bit stickier you may want to add more water.

Yogurt is my garnish of choice with Dami-e Baghala…and  sunny side up eggs go well with the dish. If you really want some meat you can possibly make some chicken or meat to add for garnish.

6 people like this post.
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Share/Bookmark
Tagged with: •
Jan 24

Meigoo Polo (Shrimp Rice)

By Persian Recipes Polo (Rice) No Comments »

I recently bought some tiny shrimp and wanted to make Shrimp Rice (AKA Meigoo Polo). I took a combination of what Persian recipes there are for Meigoo Polo and made some adjustments. Many people make the dish with Kateh (a specific style rice where you don’t drain out the water…). I am sure in the future I will try variations of this dish, but for the time being here is what I cooked up :D

Meigoo Polo

Meigoo Polo

Ingredients (4 - 6 servings):
Approximately .5 lbs small shrimp
4 cups rice
2 1/2 tablespoons butter — you may melt more butter later to add to the dish, or add more at this time if you don’t want the rice to be dry
1/2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 to 1 cup heated water
1/2 teaspoon curry
garlic powder (optional)
salt/pepper
parsley (optional)
eggs (optional)

Directions:
Rinse the rice a few times until the water is clear. Then soak the rice in water (add salt to the water as well).

In a pot boil the shrimp for approximately 10 minutes. Once the shrimp is cooked drain out the water and set aside until the sauce is ready. In a sauce pan heat the butter and then add the flour and stir until an even mixture is formed (mixture is smooth). Mix the tomato paste with the heated water and then add the mixture to the sauce pan and mix well with the flour and butter mixture (again make sure mixture is smooth). Add curry, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you want add a bit of chopped fresh parsley, or dry parsley flakes to the sauce. Once all the ingredients are mixed into the sauce add the shrimp to the sauce and set on medium low heat.

Once the sauce is prepared and cooking, heat up water in a large pot to prepare the rice. When the water comes to a boil add in the rice you were soaking. Once the rice is ready pour the contents in a strainer to drain out the water. Add 1 tablespoon water to the pot and then add some oil and place it back on the stove top (still close to high heat). When the oil is heated pour in the rice and cover for it to steam (dam bekeshe). After about 5 minutes turn down the temperature of the stove top (close to low). Wait another 5 minutes then lift the lid off of the pot and pour in the shrimp sauce mixture and mix in with the rice a bit then place the lid back on the pot and allow to cook on low heat for an additional 30 minutes.

You can choose to add the shrimp sauce mixture at the beginning when you add the rice into the pot and allow it to prepare all at once. I wanted to make sure I get Tah-dig (crispy rice crust), so I chose to let the rice crust set first then add the sauce. Either way its your choice :)

If you want to add something more to the dish you can boil 3 to 4 eggs (hard boiled eggs) and then cut them up and add to the rice when you serve it.

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

Kofteh Berenji (2) (Rice Meatballs)

By Persian Recipes Koofteh, Light Persian Meals No Comments »

I recently visited my parents and made a second type of Kofteh Berenji with their help. The first one I had made was a bit different and included lapeh (split yellow peas). The balls I made in my other Kofteh Berenji recipe were larger, and the ones in this one were much smaller and stuck together far better.

Koofteh Berenji

Koofteh Berenji

If you want something light and tasty I definitely recommend this!

Ingredients (good for 4-6 people):
1 lb ground meat
1 onion –grated and mixed with the meat
4 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup rice –rinse well
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 egg (optional)
salt/pepper
turmeric
saffron
garlic powder (optional) –small amount
lemon juice
3 cups water
oil
1 lb sabzi (greens) cleaned and chopped (2 lbs if not cleaned and chopped) : Parsley, Cilantro, Green Onions, Tarragon (Tarkhoon), Savory Leaves (Marzeh), Tareh (Chopped chives) or you can use the ends of Green Onions instead of Tareh. If you are using dry ingredients in combination with the fresh ones, you will need to adjust the measurements based on fresh or dry ingredients. Typically when using dried greens (sabzi) you will use less (approximately 1/2 cup of the ingredient) than if you were using fresh. Just to give you an idea I will provide you with the exact amounts of each ingredient I used because we had a combination of fresh and dry greens at my parents house:
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh green onions (or you can use 2 bunches; especially if you dont use chives (tareh))
1/2 cup dry Tarragon
1/2 cup dry Savory Leaves
1/2 cup dry Tareh

Directions:
As mentioned in the ingredients you will grate an onion and mix it in with the meat. Set it aside to mix in with other ingredients at a later stage.

Once all the greens are cleaned, chopped, and mixed together (mix together dry and fresh greens) then you will add your rice (after you have washed it) to the greens. Mix the greens and rice with the meat (make sure you have mixed your meat with the grated onion first). Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and a small amount of garlic powder to the mixture.

If you find that the mixture wont stick together you can add an egg.

In a pot pour in some oil and heat it. Saute the 4 tablespoons of chopped onions in the oil once it is heated. Let the onions become golden then add the tomato paste and continuously stir for a few minutes (no more than 5 minutes). Add 3 cups of hot water to the pot. Begin forming small round balls with the mixture and place them into the pot. Once all the Kofteh Berenji’s are formed and placed in the pot add more water (if needed) to cover them all.

Add some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and saffron to the water and then cover and allow the Kofteh’s to cook for approximately 45 minutes on medium heat.

Many times this is more of a light side dish and may not be the only thing you are eating.

Serve hot or warm … and most importantly enjoy!

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