Baqala Polow, Another Iranian Treat

Tender pieces of lamb falling off the bone; melting in your mouth. Dill infused fava bean saffron rice. Yes, its the recipe to another delectable Iranian dish. This was not like anything I had tried at an Iranian restaurant. It was a home cooked meal by my Persian friend, Leila, who definitely knows how to cook.

Leila brought over her beautiful cookbook "New Food of Life," and showed me a picture of the Baqala polow we were about to make. The photo itself was enough to make my mouth water and jump started our cooking endeavor. I quickly appointed myself sous-chef and we were on our way.

First we washed the lamb shanks and kept them aside. I chopped up two onions and Leila put them into a large pot along with some garlic and dill. She added the lamb shanks and seared them quickly on both sides. For seasoning, she added a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, cinnamon, lime powder, and saffron. She then added water until the meat was almost all covered and brought it up to a gentle boil. After the water began to boil, she brought it down to medium heat, covered the pot, and let it cook for three hours turning the shanks every half hour.

While the lamb was cooking we washed the rice and made it like you would ordinary rice. While the rice was cooking, Leila emptied the frozen fava beans into the pan and sautéed them with some salt, pepper, cinnamon, and lime powder until they were cooked.

Once the rice was done she layered the rice with beans and dill. First she put a layer of rice at the bottom of the pot. On top she added a layer of beans with dill, garlic, cinnamon, and a little saffron, and repeated the layers, until she reached the top of the pot. Once the layers were done, she covered the pot with a dish towel (to prevent the steam from escaping) and put the lid on top. To ensure the rice was completely infused with the herbs and spices, she cooked it for 45 mins over low heat.

After three hours on the stove, the lamb shanks were perfect. The way to tell whether they are done, is to tear a little piece off with a fork and if it falls off the bone easily, its ready to eat. She arranged the saffron-flavored rice in the middle of the platter and arranged the meat around it.

The smell of the fresh lamb permeated the air and I took a bite of the delicious rice richly flavored with cinnamon, garlic, saffron, dill, and fava beans. I started to dig into the extremely tender, juicy, chunks of lamb which were literally melting in my mouth, when I looked over at Leila, and discovered her eating mushrooms with the rice. It turns out she's a vegetarian and I had no idea! She claims though, that this is one of the only dishes, that really tempts her to eat meat. I think that speaks for itself...

Recipe for Baqala Polow (by Carolyn Dille adapted from New Food of Life)

Ingredients

• 3 to 3 1/4 pounds lamb shanks, cut in thirds
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups loosely packed fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground saffron threads, steeped in 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 4 quarts water
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 pounds fresh or 1 pound frozen fava beans, shelled, or 1 pound frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• Reserved saffron water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. In a 3-quart baking dish, combine the meat, onions, half the garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped dill. Add 1/2 cup water, the salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons of the saffron water, and the lime or lemon juice. Cover and bake for 2 hours.

3. Rinse the rice in warm water until the water runs clear; drain.

4. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a 6-quart or larger pot. Add 3 tablespoons salt, the rice, and the fava beans or limas. Stir in the turmeric. Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then drain the rice and beans, rinse with lukewarm water, and drain again.

5. Combine 3/4 cup of the rice mixture with the yogurt and a teaspoon of the reserved saffron water.

6. Heat the butter and oil and pour half of the mixture into a large nonstick pot. Spread the yogurt rice over it to form the traditional rice crust. Place the pot over medium heat.

7. Mix the remaining garlic and dill with the cinnamon in a bowl. Layer the rice and beans on the yogurt rice alternately with the dill mixture in a loose pyramid, ending with rice. Combine the remaining butter mixture with the reserved saffron water, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon salt, and drizzle over the rice pyramid.

8. Cover the pot tightly with a lid wrapped in a tea towel and steam for 30 minutes over medium-low heat. The rice may be held over very low heat for 15 minutes while the meat finishes cooking.

9. To serve, reserve a few tablespoons of the top saffron-scented rice. Mound the rice in a loose pyramid on a large serving platter. Break up the crust and scatter it over the rice. Surround the rice with the meat and its juices. Sprinkle the reserved saffron rice over the platter.

Summer Mint Basil Smoothie

Summer has hit in full force!!!! Yes, I meant to put those four exclamation marks. It might seem a bit odd that I would be so excited about the weather, in a city that boasts great weather year round, which it does for the most part, with the tiny exception of the month of June. One day in early June, the sun suddenly got lazy and decided to take an extended vacation, and to my dismay, disappeared for the entire month. I began complaining to people about the clouds that just wouldn’t go away. They nodded sympathetically and gently informed me about a phenomenon called ‘June gloom.’ Funny, how guide books conveniently omit such phenomenons resulting in European speedo-clad men shivering their way off our gloomy windy beaches.

Then it happened, a few days ago I awoke to sunshine pouring through the blinds at 8am. Summer has arrived and its here to stay. Its not the suedo-summer experience. It’s the real thing. It’s the sweltering let-me-melt-you-now, leave-your-windows-open-all-day, ice-cream-dripping, hot, beautiful, wonderful summer, and I’m thrilled!

Today I decided to celebrate the gorgeous weather, so when I woke up I went down to the ocean and soaked in the rays while doing yoga poses. The second item on my summer list was a beautiful much needed pedicure. In the afternoon, feeling a little hot and lethargic, I passed on having a soda and decided to come up with a summery but healthy concoction. I created a deliciously simple (or simply delicious) mint basil smoothie. I’m a big strawberry smoothie fan but I wanted to try something a little different. This is easy to make, extremely refreshing, and very healthy. Just mix in some mint and basil with plain yogurt and a little milk, add some sugar syrup, squeeze in a little lemon juice, and mix it up in the blender with some ice. The minty frothy tangy drink is perfect for any hot day. I’m sipping it now while writing this and raising my glass to you. Lets toast to the beginning of summer. Cheers :)

Recipe for Mint Basil Smoothie

(Makes 1)

Ingredients

1 cup non-fat or full-fat yogurt

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup sugar syrup

1/2 of a large lemon

1/4 cup basil (handful - add more if not strong enough)

1/4 cup mint (handful)

4 or 5 ice cubes

Directions

First make sugar syrup by adding 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water and bringing it to a low boil for 5-7 mins until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Put the yogurt, basil, mint, milk, and lemon juice in a blender and then pulse. Add the ice. Finally add the sugar syrup a little at a time until you have the sweetness you desire

Serve with a sprig of mint and enjoy.

Zereshk Polow

One of the most flavorful cuisines that I've ever encountered is that from Iran. When eating out, the typical Iranian dish served is Kebab, which though delicious, makes up only a sliver of what Iran has to offer. I have borrowed a beautiful cookbook from a Persian friend which contains over 400 pages of non-kebab recipes ranging from delicious yogurt and eggplant dips, to dozens of kukus (I stuck that one in for its name), to polows containing a wide variety of meats and vegetables.

What initially struck me, when I was going through the cookbook, were some of the similarities between the farsi names and urdu. I'm from Pakistan so the Zereshk polow, instantly made me think of the pulaw I would have at home. For those who aren't familiar with pulaw, it is similar to biryani in that it contains chicken or lamb with rice which are layered and then mixed together making for a very flavorful dish. Zereshk polow is the Iranian version of pulaw containing chicken mixed with colorful barberry dotted rice.

My sister, Sana, was visiting us for a few weeks over the summer, and she suggested making this dish. Zereshk is the farsi word for barberry; a deep crimson raisin-resembling fruit. I was suspicious, to say the least, because I prefer not to mix sweet and savory. Sana ensured me that I would love it and I left her to make the meal. The result was a beautiful herb infused chicken, atop a bed of saffron tinged rice, dotted by crimson barberries. It turns out I do like barberries. They're sour rather than sweet and go well with this dish. It was delicious and I plan to recreate it sometime very soon.

Compliments to the chef!

Here is the recipe. If you have a little time on your hand you should definitely try it out.

INGREDIENTS (from New Food of Life)

• 3 cups long-grain basmati rice
• 1 frying chicken, about 3 lb, or 2 Cornish game hens
• 2 peeled onions, 1 whole and 1 thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 4 tablespoons hot water
• 2 cups dried barberries (zereshk), cleane, washed and drained
• 2/3 cup clarified butter (ghee), or oil
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Persian spice mix (advieh) or 1 tablespoon ground cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons slivered pistachios

1. Clean and wash 3 cups of rice 5 times in warm water.
2. Place the whole chicken in a baking dish. Stuff the bird with one of the whole onions, the garlic, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon saffron water. Cover and bake in a 350°F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Clean the barberries by removing their stems and placing the berries in a colander. Place colander in a large container full of cold water and allow barberries to soak for 20 minutes. The sand will settle to the bottom. Take the colander out of the container and run cold water over the barberries; drain and set aside.
4. Sauté 1 sliced onion in 2 tablespoons butter, add barberries and cumin, and sauté for just 1 minute over low heat because barberries burn very easily. Add 4 tablespoons sugar, mix well, and set aside.
5. Bring 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large, non-stick pot. Pour the washed and drained rice into the pot. Boil briskly for 6 to 10 minutes, gently stirring twice to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom. Bite a few grains; if the rice feels soft, it is ready to be drained. Drain rice in a large, fine-mesh colander and rinse in 2 or 3 cups lukewarm water.
6. In the same pot heat 4 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons water.
7. In a bowl, mix 2 spatulas of rice, the yogurt, and a few drops of saffron water and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pot to form a tender crust (tah dig).
8. Place 2 spatulas full of rice in the pot, then sprinkle the cumin over the rice. Repeat these steps, arranging the rice in the shape of a pyramid. This shape allows room for the rice to expand and enlarge. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
9. Mix the remaining melted butter and saffron water with 1/4 cup of water and pour over the pyramid. Place a clean dish towel or paper towel over the pot; cover firmly with the lid to prevent steam from escaping. Cook for 50 minutes longer over low heat.
10. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, covered, for 5 minutes on a damp surface to free crust from the bottom of the pot.
11. Remove lid and take out 2 tablespoons of saffron-flavored rice and set aside for use as garnish.
12. Then, gently taking 1 spatula full of rice at a time, place rice on a serving platter in alternating layers with the barberry mixture. Mound the rice in the shape of a cone. Arrange the chicken around the platter. Finally, decorate the top of the mound with the saffron-flavored rice, some of the barberry mixture, and almonds and pistachios.