Iran Iran Iran

STARTER

Kashke Bademjan (Eggplant Dip)

• 1 large eggplant
• ½ onion thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Salt & olive oil
• Dr Food whole grain pita bread to serve
  

Peel eggplant whole and slice a few gashes on the side, rub all over in salt immediately and let sit for 20 minutes. Slice egg plants in thin slices, oil liberally and then grill in medium heat till golden brown, set aside and cool when ready. Meanwhile sear garlic and onions in frying pan till golden brown, set aside and cool. Roughly pulse/blend all ingredients together with sour cream so that it still has a chunky texture. Arrange on flat plate garnished with flat leaved parsley and a sprinkle of light spices of your choice. Toast pita and scoop it all up!

MAINS

Dizi (Lamb Stew)

Prepare 7 hours before serving

• 1.2 Kilograms of freerange lamb shoulders, diced into 3 x 3 cm chunks, keep a bone if poss
• 2 onions - roughly chopped
• 2 clove garlic - roughly chopped
  
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 1 litre water
• 1 Tbs salt
  
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas
• 6 potatoes cut into chunks
  
• 2 Tsp tomato paste
• Pickles to serve
  

Heat oil and fry 1 of the onions & garlic in medium heat with tumeric, then turn to medium high. Fry lamb quickly to seal in the juice, turn heat off as quickly as possible after this. Place this into a large pot. Add canned tomatoes and tomatoe paste and any bones and fat. Put enough water into the pot to just cover the ingredients with salt. Turn heat on to low. Let this simmer for 5 hours or so. Then add potatoes and the other onion for the last 2 hours. Serve with picked vegetables such as gherkins or green chillis.
- Traditionally this dish is cooked and served in small clay pots called dizi, with very large chunks of pure lamb fat. The way you're suppose to eat this dish is to drain the liquid and soak it up with bread, then mash the rest of the content with a small hammer. When not in an ideal world a less fatty and unmashed version was accepted by my guests.

Joojeh Kabab (Chicken Skewers)

• Skinned chicken chunks in 2.5 cm cubed pieces
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Capsicums in 2.5 cm cubed pieces
• Toothpicks soaked in water

Marinate chicken overnight or at least 3 hours in olive oil, lime juice and salt & pepper. Skew up alternative chunks with capsicums. Grill in medium heat till lightly brown. Serve immediately with lime wedges, fresh tomatoes slices, and pickles.

Damy (fried rice with grains)

• Cooked basmati rice – 1 cup per person
• Cooked grain mix – eg. brown, red lentils, split peas mixture of chopped nuts such as pistachios, cashews or almonds
• ½ chopped onions
• Salt & pepper
• Grape seed oil for frying

Sear onions in oil and salt & pepper till golden brown. Add grains first and fry till a bit crispy. Then add rice, fry for 8 – 10 minutes.

Kateh (steamed rice)

• Basmati rice - 1 cup per person
• Approx 8 saffron strands soaked in ¼ cup boiling water for at least 30 minutes
• 100 g Barberries soaked in hot water

Prepare rice in steamer or by absorption method as you usually would. Remove saffron strands from soaked water, add 2/3 cup of the cooked rice in it to colour it and return to heat of some sort to let the colour set in some more. To serve, pile white rice on bottom in a pyramid shape, then sprinkle yellow rice on top. Drain barberries from water and garnish liberally.

DESSERT

Bombay Oranges

OK I cheated with a Gordon Ramsay recipe here but it was a refreshing finish to the afternoon nevertheless.