Persian Kidney Beans Recipes

PERSIAN KIDNEY BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pan; add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add salt and other spices and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring.
• Stir in fruit juices, mixing well.
• Add tomato paste, blending in, and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add rinsed beans and peppers and cook for 20 minutes more, or until heated through and flavors have blended.
• Serve stuffed inside of split pita rounds like a sandwich.

GHORMEH SABZI (PERSIAN HERB STEW)

Steps:

• Rinse the herbs and drain well. Chop herbs very finely.Tip: Spin herbs in a salad spinner or pat dry.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a cooking pot at medium setting. Sauté onions until light golden brown.
• Add meat, turmeric, black pepper and brown it a little. Then add some salt and 3 cups water and bring it to a boil.
• Lower the heat, add the drained beans and simmer for 30 mins.Tip: Cook longer if using beef.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the herbs and sauté for 20 to 25 minutes until you can smell the aroma of sautéed herbs. Make sure to stir in between.
• Then add sautéed herbs and simmer the stew for 30 minutes.
• Next, add the pierced dried limes and simmer for another 30 to 60 minutes until the meat and beans are tender.Tip: Add dried lime powder or lime juice in the last half hour adjusting as per your taste.
• The stew should be thick and not runny. Adjust the consistency, salt, lime and other seasonings.
• Serve Ghormeh Sabzi hot with steamed rice.

PERSIAN KIDNEY BEANS

Steps:

• Saute the chopped onion in oil. Add the garlic, cumin and cinnamon.
• Add the lime juice, then the tomato paste and the water.
• Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the beans and the chili pepper and simmer for another10 minutes.
• It's done when it's quite dry,.
• Serve stuffed into pita bread.

AASH RESHTEH RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the soup ingredients.
• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat the oil on medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and saute, stirring continuously, until aromatic and lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
• Add the turmeric and saute for a couple of minutes before adding the pinto beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans.
• Add the water, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the beans begin to turn tender, about 60 minutes.
• Add the lentils, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook over low heat until the beans and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes more.
• Add the parsley, cilantro, dill, spinach, green onions, and lemon juice. Gently stir until everything is well combined in the pot.
• Cover, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. The soup will be dense with ingredients and the consistency should resemble a thick soup at this stage.
• Add the noodles, gently stirring them into the soup. Cover and cook on low heat until the noodles are al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally during cooking to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Add the Kashk (or sour cream) and stir until it is fully integrated into the soup.
• Turn off the heat and allow the Aash to sit for 10 minutes before serving with the toppings.
• Gather the toppings ingredients to prepare while the soup is cooking.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and saute, stirring constantly until light golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the salt and transfer to a small heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
• Lower the heat to low. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the garlic and saute until golden and aromatic, taking care not to burn the garlic, about 1 minute.
• Using a fork or a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the pan and add it to the bowl with onions.
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet. Add the dried mint, stirring constantly until just combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the onion and garlic mixture, stirring to combine.
• Serve the Aash in a soup bowl, garnish with the Kashk (or sour cream) topping, and the onion-garlic-mint topping,

KHORESH-E GHORMEH SABZI (PERSIAN HERB, BEAN AND LAMB STEW)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, season the meat with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Rinse the beans and place in a medium bowl with 1 cup water and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, place a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil. When it shimmers, add meat and cook, turning regularly so that it browns evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. Once the meat has browned, move it to the edges of the pot and add the onion to the center of the pot, along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion begins to soften and turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain the beans and add to the pot, stirring to combine everything and coat the beans with oil. Add 4 cups water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
• In the meantime, prepare the herbs: Wash parsley and cilantro, then use a salad spinner to dry very well. Remove and discard the tough stems. Chop the leaves and tender stems very, very finely, or feel free to use a food processor to get these herbs as finely chopped as possible. The more finely chopped the herbs, the more green and unctuous the ghormeh sabzi will be.
• Separately chop the chives and entire bunch of scallions (including the green tops) as finely as possible by hand. These, too, must be very finely chopped - nearly minced - but they will turn to mush in a food processor and thus should be chopped by hand.
• Set a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the scallion-chive mixture. Allow to wilt, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, then add remaining chopped herbs and fenugreek leaves, crushing the fenugreek leaves between your fingers as you add them. Cook, stirring continuously, until the herbs are wilted and very dark green - but not burned - and they give off a bright green oil when pressed with a spoon, 18 to 20 minutes. This step is crucial to the flavor and color of the stew. You'll know the herbs are ready when they feel dry and emit a strong, savory aroma.
• When the meat has cooked for 2 hours, add the cooked herb mixture, Omani limes and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for another hour. Check on the limes occasionally to make sure they are submerged in the stew but not falling apart. Gently push them into the stew if they're still floating after 20 minutes.
• As the stew nears the 3-hour mark, remove the lid and check the meat; it should be very tender. If the ghormeh sabzi seems a little watery, leave it uncovered for the last 20 minutes of cooking and allow to reduce into a thick stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If the stew needs a little acidity, juice a lime into the stew through a sieve by pressing down on it with a spoon (avoid letting the seeds through the sieve, as they can be bitter). Set aside. Taste the stew and continue adding more lime juice until the stew is sufficiently tangy. Stir in the saffron. The stew should be a very deep, dark shade of green and quite thick when done. Return dried limes into the stew to serve.
• Serve hot with Persian rice and mast-o khiar.

PERSIAN RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL (BAQALA POLOW)

Steps:

• Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain, using a fine-mesh colander, and set aside.
• If using fresh fava beans in the pod, shell and remove second skins. If using frozen favas with second skins removed, place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup (60ml) oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cinnamon stick, leek, and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leek is wilted. Add the rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and rose water, and stir-fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the water, tip in the skinned fava beans and bring back to a boil, stirring gently twice with a wooden spoon, to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover firmly with a lid to prevent any steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the dill and fluff using 2 forks. Drizzle the remaining oil and the saffron-infused rose water over the rice. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, still covered, for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fried eggs and Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip or alongside roasted lamb or fish.

PERSIAN HERB, RED BEAN & LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Put the dried red kidney beans in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hr.
• Heat a flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat for a few minutes before adding 2 tbsp oil. Season the lamb and sear on all sides until golden brown, then remove to a plate. Fry the onions over a low heat for 8-10 mins until soft and translucent.
• Drain and rinse the soaked kidney beans, then add them to the onions along with the turmeric and dried limes. Stir to coat in the spiced oil, then return the lamb to the casserole. Pour over 1 litre water, or enough to cover the lamb, and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, then turn down to a simmer. Leave the lamb to gently braise for 1 hr.
• Put the coriander and parsley in a food processor and blitz to chop finely (you can also do this by hand, but the finer the herbs, the better the stew's flavour and consistency).
• In a separate frying pan over a medium heat, fry the leeks in the remaining 1 tbsp oil for 6-8 mins until softened. Stir in the fenugreek leaves, blitzed herbs and chives - it is sometimes easier to add these in batches. Fry for 5 mins until the herbs are dark green (this removes moisture and deepens the flavour).
• Once the lamb has braised for 1 hr, add the leek and herb mixture along with 250-500ml hot water to loosen, stirring well. Braise for a further 2 hrs, or until the lamb is completely tender and falling off the bone. Add a dash of hot water to loosen if the sauce has thickened too much - I prefer it to be almost broth-like, but that is personal preference. Season to taste (a good pinch or two of sea salt is essential) and, depending on the acidity from the dried limes, add a squeeze of lime juice for a fresh finish.