Khaviar - Caviar

Khaviar - Caviar

Ingredients : 4 servings
fine caviar, 200 grams (or less, depending on your budget)
salted crackers
small onion, one
fresh lime juice, one teaspoon
fresh parsley, 50 grams
butter optional
Directions
Iranian caviar from the Caspian sea is probably the best in the world. Peel and chop onion very finely. Wash and chop parsley very finely. Add caviar to onion and parsley and mix well. If using unsalted crackers, a bit of salt can be added to the mix. If desired, place a bit of butter on each cracker, and serve with the mix

Kalleh-Joosh

Ingredients: 4 servings
ground lamb or beef, 400 grams
walnuts, 2 spoonfuls
kashk (dried or thick whey), 1-2 cups (obtain from an Iranian store)
medium onions, two
mint, 100 grams
cooking oil
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash and finely chop mint. Peel and grate onions. Add onions and mint to meat with salt and black pepper and mix well. Shape meat into small balls. Heat some cooking oil in a pan until hot. Add meat-balls and fry for a few minutes until colour changes. Add a cup of hot water, turmeric, and a bit of salt and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add kashk and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in crushed walnuts, and serve

Ghalieh Esfanaaj

Ingredients: 4 servings
ground lamb or beef, 250 grams
black-eye beans, 50 grams
split peas, 50 grams
lentils, 50 grams
fresh spinach, 1 kg
small onions, 2
mint, 100 grams
kashk (thick or dried whey), 1-2 cups (purchase at an Iranian store)
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash black-eye beans, split-peas, and lentils, and soak in warm water for about 2 hours. Add salt and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. About one cup of water should be left. Peel and grate onions. Add to ground meat with salt and black pepper, and mix well. Shape the mix into small balls. Fry balls in cooking oil over medium heat until colour changes. Wash spinach and chop finely. Add to black-eye beans, split-peas, lentils, and meat balls, and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until there is no water left. Wash mint and chop finely. Fry in oil for a few minutes. Add kashk and mint on top of Ghalieh-Esfanaaj

Naaz Khaatoon

Ingredients: 4 servings
small eggplants, 6
medium tomatoes, 4
pomegranate juice, 2 cups (or 2 teaspoons of pomegranate paste)
sour grape juice, 1/2 cup
medium onions, 2
marjoram, one teaspoon
dried mint, 1/2 teaspoon
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash eggplants and tomatoes. Cook whole eggplants in the oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool, then peel and chop finely. Pour hot water over the tomatoes, then peel and chop finely. Peel onions and grate them. Add pomegranate juice, sour grape juice, salt and black pepper to eggplants. (If pomegranate juice is not available, use pomegranate paste mixed with 2 cups of hot water). Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add marjoram, dried mint and grated onions, mix well and remove from heat. Add tomatoes, mix, and serve

Poore Seeb-Zamini

Ingredients:4 servings
potatoes, 1 kg
milk, one cup
butter, 2 teaspoons
salt
Directions
Wash and peel potatoes. Add 2-3 glasses of hot water and salt and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until soft. Press well using the back of a fork until potatoes are very soft. Place over low heat. Add milk slowly while stirring so that milk is fully absorbed by potatoes. Add butter, mix well, and serve

Poore Esfanaaj

Ingredients: 4 servings
spinach, 1 kg
milk, 1/2 cup
butter, 2 teaspoons
baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon
salt
Directions
Wash spinach well. Dissolve baking soda and salt in two glasses of hot water. Add spinach and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Pour spinach in a drain and press using the back of a spoon to remove excess water, then chop finely. Place over low heat. Add milk slowly while stirring so that milk is fully absorbed by spinach. Add butter, mix well, and serv

Salad-e Olivieh

Salad-e Olivieh

Ingredients: 4 servings
chicken, 400 grams
potatoes, 500 grams
medium onions, 2
medium eggs, 3
peas, 1/2 cup
medium carrot, one
dill pickles, 100 grams should not be sweet
fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons
mayonaise
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add chicken and fry until colour changes. Wash and peel carrot. Chop into small pieces. Add to chicken with a bit of salt and one cup of hot water. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove bones and cut into small pieces. Wash potatoes well. Add hot water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, then mash them well using the back of a fork. Cook peas over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Finely chop dill pickles. Boil eggs until hard. Remove shells and crush well using the back of a fork. Add potatoes, peas, pickles, salt, black pepper, mayonaise, eggs and lime juice to chicken (with a bit of juice) and mix well. Salad-e Olivieh should be served cold. Optional: pour the mix in a dish and flatten the surface with the back of a spoon. Place some mayonaise on top and spread over the surface with a knife. Slice one or two dill pickles length-wise and use the slices to decorate Salad-e Olivieh. Salad-e Olivieh is believed to have foreign origin but has been modified in Iran

KooKoo Gol-Kalam

Ingredients: 4 servings
small cauliflower, one
eggs, 4 large
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Cut cauliflower into small pieces and wash. Add hot water and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then drain water. Soften cauliflower slightly using a fork. Add salt and black pepper to eggs, and mix. Dissolve saffron in a bit of hot water and add to eggs. Also dissolve baking soda in a bit of cold water and add to eggs. Mix well. Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes

KooKoo Morgh

Ingredients:4 serving
chicken, 600 grams
eggs, 4 large
medium onions, 4
fresh lime juice, 1-2 spoons
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Peel and slice onions, then fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut chicken into pieces, then fry in onions on both sides until color changes. Add salt, black pepper, and one glass of hot water, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until little water is left. Allow chicken to cool down, then remove the bones and cut the meat into small pieces. Dissolve saffron in 2-3 spoons of hot water, and baking soda in 2-3 spoons of cold water. Add salt and black pepper to eggs and mix well. Add saffron, baking soda, lime juice, chicken (with juice), and onions to eggs and mix well. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Pour the mix in, flaten the surface with the back of a spoon, and fry over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cut radially into 8 pieces, turn over and fry for another 5-10 minutes

KooKoo Baadenjaan

Ingredients: 4 servings
small eggplants, 4
large eggs, 4
medium onions, 4
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Peel and slice onions, then fry in oil until slightly golden. Peel eggplants, slice thinly, add to onions and fry over medium heat on both sides until color changes. Dissolve saffron in 2-3 spoons of hot water, and add to eggplants along with salt and black pepper. Mix well, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Add salt and black pepper to eggs and mix well. Add eggplants and again mix. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Pour the mix in, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and fry over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cut radially into 8 pieces, turn over, and fry for another 5-10 minutes

KooKoo-yeh Loobia-Sabz

Ingredients: 4 servings
string beans, 400 grams
eggs, 4 large
onions, 2 large
baking soda, one teaspoon
wheat flour, one spoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
Directions
Wash string beans and chop into 1cm pieces. Bring 2-3 cups of water to boil. Add chopped string beans and a bit of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes under tender. Drain water. Peel and chop onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Dissolve saffron in 1/3 cup of hot water. Beat eggs well, then add baking soda, salt, black pepper, saffron, flour, onions and string beans. Mix well. Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes

KooKoo Seeb-Zamini

Ingredients: 4 servings
potatoes, 1 kg
eggs, 4-5
baking powder, one spoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Cook potatoes, then peel and grate them. Let cool completely. Beat eggs well until they become foamy. Add salt, black pepper, baking powder, and potatoes and mix well. Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes

KooKoo Sabzi

Ingredients:4 servings
vegetables (parsley, dill, coriander, lettuce, spring onion ends), 1 kg
eggs, 4 large
barberry (optional), one spoon
crushed walnut (optional), one spoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
wheat flour, one spoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash vegetables and rinse thoroughly. Chop finely and fry in oil for about 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Beat eggs well, then add baking soda, salt, black pepper, flour, barberry and walnuts. Add vegetables and mix well. Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes

Nargesi Esfanaaj

Ingredients:3 servings
fresh spinach, 1 kg
3 eggs
2-3 onions, thinly sliced
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Slightly cook with half a cup of water and a bit of salt over medium heat for a few minutes. Drain water (using the back of a spoon to squeeze extra water from spinach). Fry onions in oil in a non-stick pan until golden. Add spinach and fry for a few more minutes. Flatten the surface using the back of a spoon and break the eggs on top, taking care not to break the yoke. Add salt and pepper and cover the pan until eggs are cooked but the yoke should remain soft

Borani Esfanaaj

Ingredients: 4 servings
fresh spinach, 1 kg
yogurt, 250 grams
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (optional)
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Fry onions and garlic in oil until slightly golden. Add spinach and fry together over medium heat until cooked. Let it cool down completely in the refrigerator. Add salt and pepper to yogurt to taste and beat well until the yogurt is a free-flowing liquid. Add spinach to yogurt and mix well. The mix should be thick and homogeneous. This delicious side-dish is now ready to serve

Haleem Baadenjaan

Ingredients: 4 servings
small eggplants, 6
lamb or beef, 500 grams
kashk, one glass (kashk is thick whey, and should be purchased in Iran or at an Iranian store)
medium onions, 4
dried mint, 2 spoons (or 200 grams of fresh mint)
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Peel and finely chop onions, Fry in oil until golden. Save half for later use. Cut meat into small pieces and fry with onions until colour changes. Add 2-3 glasses of hot water and cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes. If necessary, additional hot water should be added while cooking. Peel eggplants and slice length-wise to a thickness of 1 cm. Add salt and pepper and fry on both sides on medium heat until golden. Mash the meat and eggplants and mix well. Add the gravy from the meat and one glass of hot water to the mix and cook over low heat, mixing occasionally until no water is left. Remove the mix from heat. Add kashk and mix well, then add fried onions on top. Fry dried mint in oil for a few minutes. (If fresh mint is used, wash and finely chop it, then fry in oil). Also add fried mint on top of Haleem Baadenjaan and serve

Kashk-e Baadenjaan

Ingredients: 4 servings
small eggplants, 6
kashk, one glass kashk is thick whey, and should be purchased in Iran or at an Iranian store
tomato paste, one spoon
medium onions, 2
dried mint, 2 spoons or 200 grams of fresh mint
cooking oil
salt
black pepper

Directions
Peel eggplants and slice length-wise to a thickness of 1 cm. Add salt and pepper and fry on both sides on medium heat until golden. Add half a cup of hot water to one spoon of tomato paste and mix well. Add to eggplants and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.Peel onions and slice thinly. Fry in oil until golden. Also fry dried mint in oil for a few minutes. Alternatively, fresh mint can be used. If so, wash and finely chop mint, then fry in oil. Pour kashk evenly over eggplants, follow with onions and mint, then serve

Mirza Ghasemi

Ingredients: 6 servings
8 small seedless eggplants
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs
2 medium tomatos
1/3 cup of cooking oil
salt
black pepper
Directions
Bake the eggplants in oven until cooked. This occurs when the eggplants swell and the skin bursts. Take eggplants out of oven and let them cool down slightly. Peel them and cut the hard tops. Cut into small pieces. Bring water to boil in a small pot. Cook tomatos in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pot and let cool slightly. Peel them and cut into small pieces. Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden. Add eggplants and fry further for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatos, salt and pepper and fry until the excess water is gone. Beat eggs well with a fork and fry separately until half-cooked. Add to eggplants, mix and fry further for 1-2 minutes. Can be served with white rice or Iranian bread. This is a delicious dish from a region by the Caspian sea in northern
Iran

Naan-o-Paneer-o-Sabzi

Ingredients:4 servings
Iranian or middle-eastern thin bread, 500 grams
feta white cheese, 400 grams
herbs (parsley, coriander, spring onions), 500 grams
Directions
Soak feta cheese (which should not be very soft) in cold water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain the water just before serving. Iranian or middle-eastern bread that comes in very thin, soft sheets should be used. It should be warmed up in the oven before serving but avoid over-heating it which will dry it out. Wash the herbs with cold water and let dry. Cut spring onions into 4-5 cm pieces, and parsley and coriander into small pieces. Serve with bread and feta cheese. To eat, cut a small piece of bread, place a piece of feta cheese and some herbs in the middle, and wrap the bread around them

Maast-o-Khiar

Ingredients:4 servings
yogurt, 500 grams
cucumber, 1/2 small (grated)
onion, one small (grated)
mint, 2 teaspoons
salt
black pepper
Directions
Beat yogurt well until it flows smoothly. If fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped. Add mint, grated onion and cucumber, salt and pepper to yogurt and mix well. Leave in the refrigerator for two hours, then serve. Maast-o-Khiar makes a delicious side-dish