In a heavy based frying pan, fry the onion, salt and pepper, turmeric and dried lime until the onion is transparent.
Add the lamb and fry until the surface of the lamb is sealed.
Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer until the lamb is tender, about an hour.
Wash the okra well. Top and tail them as you would a green string bean.
If required, using a potato peeler, peel the hard knobbly edges.
Cut into bite size pieces.
Rinse well.
Add to the stew, khorest, and and continue to simmer until the is tender.
Notes
Okra gives off a gluttonous jelly type liquid. If you are using small, baby size okra there is no need to cut them and the goo stays intact. Otherwise don’t try to wash it all away, rather just rinse the cut okra and toss into the saucepan with the cooking stew. Okra is very high in calcium.
A delicious tomato based lamb stew with eggplant. Great served with either rice or bread. This was one of the first Persian dishes I learnt to cook and would have to be the most popular Iranian dish in our household.
Koresh Ghormeh Sabzi, a Persian herb stew, must be the most well known Persian dish, and is well known for it’s delightful smell. Many times I’ve had guests for dinner and when greeting them at the door they comment on the wafting aromas as they walked down the street.
The delightful smell is from the addition of dried fenugreek leaves, otherwise known as shanbalileh in Farsi or methi in Indian recipes. You can buy the frozen fenugreek in Indian grocery stores, and more recently I have seen fresh fenugreek available.
There are many ways of making ghormeh sabzi, and some recipes are very time consuming, and other methods are quick and easy to use.
When I first started making Ghormeh Sabzi, we lived in out-back Australia, and my husbands parents would post the sabzi to us from Iran. It was always very exciting to receive one of these food packages. Of course the packages had been opened and check by Australian Customs, and they wonderful aroma of the dried Shanbalileh would be seeping out of the box.
As time progressed, we were able to purchase the the pre-packaged Ghormeh Sabzi dried herbs, and now we can purchase the sabzi, already fried and ready to add in a can.
This recipes uses fresh herbs, with dried Shanbalileh (fenugeek leaves) as these fresh herbs are often hard to find. A food processor makes this method much easier and less time consuming.
You can either use canned kidney beans or dried, pre-soaked kidney beans. If you use the canned beans, then you can add them to Ghormeh Sabzi , about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Dried Persian limes (Limu Omani) are an integral part of this Persian herb stew. The dried limes are unique to Persian cuisine and are often added whole to dishes such as Gorme Sabzi. You can either add dried limes whole or crushed.
As the Gormeh Sabzi cooks, the mixture becomes quite a dark green and the spinach thickens the stew. This Persian herb stew is not thickened like many of the usual Persian khoresh resulting in a delicious liquid for the rice to soak up.
Serve with steamed basmati rice and thickened yogurt.
Koresht Gorme Sabzi – Persian Lamb & Herbs Stew
This dish is well known in Persian Cuisine. The delicious aroma of the Ghormeh Sabzi Persian herb stew cooking will fill the street. Many times I've had guests for dinner and when greeting them at the door they comment on the wafting aromas as they walked down the street.
Too prepare the fresh herbs including the spinach, wash well, and chop finely. A food processor makes light work of this, processing in batches with the pulse setting. Being very careful not to over process.
In a heavy based large frying pan, heat the oil with the turmeric. Fry the diced lamb on a medium high heat until brown and the juices are sealed.
Add the prepared fresh, finely chopped fresh herbs and the dried fenugreek leaves, and lightly fry.
Lightly crush the dried Persian limes and add to the saucepan.
If using pre-soaked kidney beans add these now.
Add lemon juice and enough water to well cover the ingredients, at least 1 litre.
Bring to boil and then lightly simmer on a low heat for about 2-3 hours. Adding water as required.
About half way though the cooking time, add salt to taste.
If using canned kidney beans, add these about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Notes
Traditional Gorme Sabzi can be quite oily. I often miss out on the frying of the meat and finely chopped herbs and add the water directly to the uncooked meat and fresh herbs. This does result in a different taste to the dish, but is much healthier.Both dried and canned ghormeh sabzi persian herb herb mixtures are available in Persian grocers, making this a quick and easy dish.
Fenugreek leaves, otherwise known as Shanbalileh or Methi is widely used in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. It is one of the herbs used in Gormeh Sabzi and Kookoo Sabzi. Read more about the history of fenugreek.
Although this delicious Cafe Glace is initially imported from France, it is considered to be as much a part of the Persian Culture as Tea, Adjil and Pistachios.
It is enjoyed in the hot afternoons. A firm favourite
Iced Coffee – Cafe Glace
Although this drink is imported from France, it is considered to be as much a part of the Persian Culture as Tea, adjil and Pistachios.
Doogh, a Persian yogurt drink, is very refreshing, and a must with any Persian Kebab. It is surprisingly easy to make, and even more so if you have a Soda Stream to give you soda water on demand.
Any plain natural yogurt can be used for this recipe, but the thicker the yogurt, the more soda water you will need to add.
The amount of salt added is very personal as some people like it a lot saltier than others.
In our family, we always have doogh with Kebab in summer, and it has been the tradition that the kids make the doogh while the Kebab is cooking. The recipe is really that simple.
How to make Doogh – Yogurt Drink
Add natural yogurt to a glass jug, and with a whisk, stir in salt and dried mint.
Very gently pour in soda water. To stop the soda water from bubbling too much wile pouring into the jug, gently tip the jug on the side so the soda water is being poured onto the side of the glass jug rather than into the middle of the jug.
Serve over ice with a sprig of mint for decoration.
This yogurt drink can be made in advance and stored in airtight bottles in the fridge ready to serve. Remember to give it a gentle shake before opening as the yogurt will settle to the bottom of the bottle over time.
Yogurt Drink – Doogh
This refreshing yogurt drink, known as Doogh, is a must with Persian Kebab and rice, Chelow Kebab. Commercial versions of Doogh are becoming more readily available, but it is very easy to make and the ingredients are available in most kitchens. Perhaps an acquired taste to some Westerners but once appreciated it is a must at any Persian BBQ.
In a large heavy based saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water. When the sugar is fully dissolved, gradually bring to the boil and continue to boil for about 5-6 minutes. Leave to cool.
Combine the lime juice and sugar syrup mixing well. Place in the freezer for about 4 – 6 hours until ice is beginning to form.
Roughly chop and blend with either a hand-held blender or a regular blender until the mixture is of a slushy consistency.
Beat the egg white until it is white and stiff peaks are formed.
Slowly and carefully fold the lime mixture into the egg white. Great care is to be taken to unsure the mixture is well combined, but the air is not removed from the egg white.
Place in a well sealed container and quickly return to the freezer.
Notes
Lemon juice or a combination of lemon and lime juice can be used in this recipe according to taste.
This Ice Cream is very quick and easy to make. The use of salep adds elasticity and results in a marsh mallow like appearance. The delicate flavours of rosewater and saffron create the subtle distinction of this traditional recipe.
Place all the ingredients except the salep in a blender and blend until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the salep and blend until the mixture is thick.
Pour into a deep container that is suitable to freeze and place in the freezer for about 4-6 hours until the mixture is partly frozen.
Put the mixture back into the blender and blend for a couple of minutes until all the frozen ice-cream is mixed with the liquid.
Put into a storage container and freeze until hard.
Notes
Western flavours can be used in this ice cream, resulting in a mix of Western and Persian tastes. I have blended a few Blueberries into the mixture, or added chocolate topping instead of the Rose Water and Saffron.
Line a Lamington tray with greaseproof paper, and lightly spray with spray oil.
Whip the egg yolks is a electric mixer at high until soft peaks are formed.
Combine the sugar, glucose syrup, salt, and water in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to boil and boil till the temperature reaches 250 degrees using a candy thermometer.
Remove from the heat and slowly pour about a third of the mixture into mixer bowl while running beating into the egg whites. Continue to beat the egg whites until the mixture has a similar consistency to whipped cream.
Continue to boil the remaining syrup until it reaches 300 degrees.
Pour the remaining sugar syrup slowly into the egg mixture with the motor running and continue beating until mixture is thick and stiff. Add the Rose Water and nuts and beat just until combined.
Spoon the nougat into the prepared pan, and press it smoothly and evenly with a wet hand to stop it sticking.. Keep it in refrigerator until the nougat is partly set. tip out onto a floured board, turning to ensure both sides are lightly floured.
Cut into desired shapes, with 2cm squares or cut using a small round cookie cutter, pressing into flour between each cut to reduce the sticking.
Store in a lightly floured an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to temperature before serving.
Notes
Use flour to keep the nougat from sticking. A good electric mixer with a metal or glass bowl is essential for this recipe along with a candy thermometer.
Lay pastry sheets on a flat surface and separate while still frozen with a sharp knife and leave to defrost.
Preheat oven to 180deg.
Cut each sheet in half, and then each half into 8 strips.
In a small bowl, mix egg, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg mixture over the pastry.
Place each strip onto a greased pastry sheet, twisting each strip as placing onto the tray.
Brush with remaining egg mixture and sprinkle Almond slivers on each pastry.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes till golden brown.
When cooked remove from the oven and carefully place in a large dish, sprinkle icing sugar over and gently toss till coated with a dusting of icing sugar.
Notes
These delicate pastries do not keep long, and are best eaten on the day of baking. Frozen puff pastry makes these a simple and quick sweet to prepare.
A wonderful moist date cake. This is a firm favourite and I often am asked for this recipe. I soak the dates in coffee to dd that extra moistness and interesting taste.
Moist Date Cake
A wonderful moist date cake. The addition of coffee adds an interesting taste.
