Acar Timun & Lobak

Ingredients:

-cucumber and carrot cut into 3cm long

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1 star anise

- 1 medium onion, cut 6

- 3 garlic cloves

- 1 inch ginger, thinly slice

- 3 tbsp vinegar

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

- salt

- cooking oil

- 1 medium onion*

- 4 garlic cloves*

- 2 dried red chillies*

Methods:

1. Grind all * ingredients in blender

2. Marinate cucumber with turmeric powder and salt

3. In a pan, heat some oil, fry ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise.

4. When the aroma arise, put in the blended ingredients. 

5. Fry until fragrant or 'pecah minyak'.

6. Add in vinegar and salt.

7. Add in onion, garlic and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the carrot tender.

8. Drain the cucumber, add in to the pan.

9. Cook for about 10 minutes. Done. 

Befarmaeed Sham: Maash Polow (Mung beans Rice)

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Maash Polow, Salad Fasl, Salad Shirazi & Potato Tahdig

Maash polow is so easy to cook. It is the right food to be cooked when you run out of time. In an hour, it is done. Now, maash polow has become one of my favorite and bff loves it too! 

Ingredients:

~ About 300g ground beef/mutton

~ 1 1/2 cup of rice, soak with water and salt for at least 20 minutes

~ 2 large onion, diced (i love to put lots of onion for its sweetness)

~ 1/2 cup of mung beans

~ 1 tspn turmeric powder

~ 1/2 tspn cinnamon powder

~ Potato slices for tahdeeg

~ Salt and pepper

Methods:

1. Boil mung beans until soft (approximately 15 minutes). Drain.

2. While waiting the beans to be cooked, par boil the rice (add 1 tbsp cooking oil) following methods to cook persian rice. Drain.

3. In a pan, heat some oil, fry the onion until translucent,, add turmeric.

4. Add the ground beef, blackpepper and cinnamon powder.

5. Cooked for about 15 minutes until it well cooked. Taste with salt.

6. Mix the mung beans with the meat mixture.

7. In a pot, Pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Place potato slices on bottom.

8. Layer rice and meat mixture alternately.

9. Cover the pot with kitchen towel to get beautiful tahdeeg. Simmer with low heat for about 30 minutes.

For salad fasl (season salad) dressing:

I mixed mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

For salad shirazi recipe: Click here. I add piaz che (spring onion) this time. 

Khoreshte Bademjan/Bademjoon - Eggplant and Meat Stew

I wanted to cook this dish for so long. I dont even remember when was the last time i cooked this. Maybe years ago. This is one of my favourite persian khoresht (stew). It is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients: 

- 300g stew meat

- 1 medium eggplant. Peel, sprinkle some salt on it and leave for half hour to get rid the bitterness

- 1 medium onion, dice

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 tbsp tomato paste

- 1 tsp turmeric

- 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped

- juice of 1 lime

- salt and pepper to taste

- oil

Methods: 

1. Heat some oil, saute onion until translucent, sprinkle turmeric.

2. Add meat sear until all sides brown.

3. Add chopped tomato and tomato paste. Sprinkle some pepper.

4. When the sauce get thicken and dard red, pour water, covering the meat.

5. Simmer with low heat for 1-2 hours until meat tender. 

6. 20 minutes before ready, add lime juice 

7. While waiting for the stew to be cooked, pat dry the eggplant with kitchen towel and deep fry until golden brown.

8. Add the eggplant to the stew to absorb the flavors 15 minutes before turn off heat.

9. Serve with rice and your choice of salad. 

Loobia Polow

For recipe: http://chiliandsaffron.blogspot.com/2011/05/loobia-polow-rice-with-green-beans.html

But this time I substitute meat with mince meat .

Served with salad shirazi

Have a nice food!!

Nasi Minyak (Berenj-e-Roghani)

When translated to farsi, nasi minyak seems very unhealty. Imagine rice with oil. But it is just a name. It is actually really delicious. Nasi minyak normally cooked during Malay aroosi (wedding). Yesterday mak saw nasi lemak at one of woman's talk show and since that she keep on saying about that. I know she want me to cook it, so today's lunch I made it for her. Just simple one. With two side dishes; ayam merah and acar nenas.

(Rice)
Ingredients:
~ 2 cups rice
~ 2 cups water
~ 1 cinnamon stick
~ 2 star anise
~ 3 cardamom
~ 3 cloves
~ 1 large onion, slice
~ 5 garlic cloves, slice
~ 2 inch ginger, slice
~ 2 screw pine leaves
~ Oil
~ Salt and MSG

Methods:
1. In a pot, with some oil fry cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom and cloves until fragrant, add onion, garlic, screw pine leaves and ginger. Fry everything until golden brown.
2. Pour rice, water, salt and msg and place the pot on rice cooker.
3. Done!

(Ayam Sambal - Morgh ba felfel ghermez)
Ingredients:
~ Chicken
~ Dried chillies, cut, boil for 15 minutes to soften the chillies*
~ 1 medium onion*
~ 3 garlic cloves*
~ 1 inch ginger*
~ half inch shrimp paste*
~ 1 lemon grass, bruise
~ Chilli sauce, 2 tbsp
~ Ketchup, 2 tbsp
~ Oil
~ Sugar, salt, msg

*blend

Methods:
1. Fry the chicken until crispy. Set aside.
2. Heat some oil, fry the blended ingredients and lemon grass until the chillies cooked, make sure the color turn a little bit darker. Add in chilli sauce and ketchup.
3. Taste with sugar, salt and msg.
4. Add in the chicken. Cook for another 30 minutes until the chillies coated well to the chicken.

(Acar Nenas)
~ Pineapple, dice
~ 1 medium onion, slice
~ 1 bird eye chilli, finely slice
~ 1 green clili, slice
~ Juice of 1 lime
~ 1 tbsp white vinegar
~ 1 tspn sugar
~ Pinch of salt

Methods: Mix well everything

I whassap-ed the photo to bff in Iran. He said "fekr kardam faghat baraye man ghaza ghashange doros mikoni". Javabe man, "baraye shoma ghashangtar doros mikonam" haha. poyo right? After 2 and half months, I know he misses my cook :p. Till then, bye.

Befarmaeed Sham @azreen's : Zereshk Polow ba Morgh (Barberry Rice with Chicken)

Chicken

Ingredients:

~ Half chicken cut into 2

~ 1 large onion diced

~ 1 tbsp tomato paste

~ 1 tsp turmeric powder

~ 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 clove, 2 cardamom

~ Juice of 1 lime

~ Salt and pepper to taste

~ Water

~ Oil

Methods:

1. Heat oil with cinnamon stick, star anise, clove and cardamom until fragrant smell arise. Saute onion until golden brown, add in chicken, sprinkle turmeric and pepper. Add in also tomato paste.

2. Add in water, let it boil. When boil, slow heat, close lid and simmer for about 30minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, the amount of liquid should be decrease and thicker. Add in juuice of lime.

4. Let it simmer another 15 minutes. Taste with salt. Done

Rice

Ingredients:

~ 1 half cup of rice, soak with some salt at least 20 minutes

~ A handful of barberry (zereshk), soak in water

~ 2 tbsp saffron liquid

~ 1 tbsp sugar

~ Oil

~ Bread for tahdig

Methods:

1. Cook rice according to Persian rice recipe. Can be found here.

2. In a pan with low heat, heat some oil, add in zereshk and sugar. The sugar will balance the sourish taste of zereshk. 

3. Stir for about 1 minute or until the zereshk plump up.

To serve the rice, put the cooked rice on a plate, top with some rice combined with saffron liquid and on top of that sprinkle the zereshk. Previously I put aside the zereshk because of the sour taste. But not anymore because I learned that zereshk is full of vitamins and my way to lessened the sour is by adding extra sugar. This time to balance the food, I made shalad shirazi too! And look the tahdig, it was yummy because I used thin lavash breaf.

Khoda hafez!

Salad Makaroni

Talking about salad, I always think of green vegetables salad with dressings. But when I enter the Persians world, my view changed after seeing salad makaroni. I first ate it when bff's mom came here. It served as an appetizer before main course. 

Ingredients:

Makaroni spiral

Potato - boil

Khiarshu (pickle cucumber) - dice

Kalbaz (ham) or sosis (sausage) - if using sausage cook it first

Canned sweet corn

Carrot - dice

Piaz (onion) - very small dice

Mayonnaise

Salt

Pepper

Lime juice

Olive oil

Methods:

1. For dressings; mix together onion, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil. 

2. Mix all of other ingredients with dressings

Cucumber & yogurt dip (mast-o-khiar)

Mast-o-khiar is a refreshing recipe to accompany your meal. You can also make it as a snack to dip with chips. Some people love the khiar (cucumber)'s slice bigger for a crunchier effect. But bff always loves with a small tiny slices of cucumber. Any style you like, mast o khiar is a healthy hence delicious to try.

Ingredients:
Cucumber
Yogurt
Mint
Salt
Blackpepper

Methods:
Mix everything. Better consume when chilled.

Coriander Leaves and Onion Salad

I just mix coriander leaves, onions and salt.

Purple Cabbage with Carrot Salad

Ingredients (Dressing): 

1 tbsp EVO (Extra Virgin Oliveoil)

2 tbsp mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Every time Salad

Why I named it every time salad? Because every time bff asked me to make salad, I will make this salad. I didn't follow any recipe. Try it!

~ Kahoo (lettuce)

~ Hojeh (tomato)

~ Khiar (Cucumber)

Dressing:

~ 1 tsp mustard

~ 2 tbsp mayonnaise

~ 2 tbsp ketchup

~ juice of 1 lime

~ salt

~ 1 small onion, finely diced

Salad Olivieh: A fast food in fridge

There is a newly open middle eastern groceries shop nearby and I am so happy because I can restock my khiarshu (pickle cucumber) whenever I want. No need to wait for next trip to KL anymore :-) Yes, there are many of pickle cucumber at Jusco or Cold Storage but it is not same like Yek-O-Yek brand (Iranian brand with slightly spicy taste). So, every time I have khiarshu in my fridge I will make salad olivieh. This salad can be my fast food whenever I am hungry in between meals. Normally I will make for dinner and the leftover will be in fridge for 1-2 days depends on my consumption. Let see how I make it! Previous post about salad olivieh.

Ingredients:

~ 2 large potatoes, boil and mashed

~ 2 size A eggs, hard boil and mash

~ 6 fillet of chicken, boil with 1 chopped medium onion, salt & 1 bay leaf until soft. Then mash with fingers to form a small slices of meat.

~ A handful of khiarshu, coarsely grated

~ 5 tbsp of mayonnaise

~ 1 tsp of olive oil

~ Juice of 1 lime

~ Salt & pepper to taste

Method

~ Mix everything in a bowl, chill in fridge, serve with any type of breads you like. 

Salad Shirazi

The most famous salad in Persian cuisine, Salad Shirazi. I think it called shirazi because it originated from Shiraz, one city in Iran. It is really refreshing, best to accompany meaty meals. 

Ingredients:

Cucumber

Tomato

Onion

Salt

Olive oil

Lime juice

Mint flakes

Methods:

Chopped cucumber, tomato and onion.

Mix with all of other ingredients.

Serve chill.

Tomato with Onion Salad

A refreshing salad to complete your meal

Mix sliced tomatoes, onion, some coriander leaf, lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar.

Put in refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Yummy

Salad Olivieh

There's last stock for khiarshu (pickle cucumber). No way in short time i can re-stock it as nobody will come back from Iran to bring for me nor i will go KL for Middle Eastern grocery shop. Is not that i cannot use the pickles that can be found at normal groceries, but the taste isn't same.

The easy peasy recipe to prepare is salad olivieh. It is so so khoshmazas (tasty) served with warm thin pita bread. Yummy!!

Ingredients:
3 large potatos - boiled and grated
3 eggs - boiled and grated
1 cup khiarshu - grated
1 small carrot - grated
2 chicken breast - boiled with 1 diced onion + a pinch of salt until really tender then chopped into small slices
1 cup of mayonaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Method - combine everything in a bowl until the texture soft. chill in refrigerator, serve!