Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati or long-grain rice, 3 cups
salt
cooking oil

Directions:

Kateh can be served with kababs or a variety of koresht. It is simpler to cook than polow.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

basmati rice, 500 grams
cooking oil
salt

Directions:

The preparation of polow (or chelow) is more elaborate than kateh and results in a delicious non-sticky rice. It can be served with kababs or a variety of khoresht.

Wash rice twice and soak in salted warm water for 3-4 hours, then drain the water. Pour water in a large non-stick pan until it is half-full and bring it to a boil. Add rice and a spoonful of salt and continue boiling until rice slightly softens. Pour rice into a drain and wash it with slightly warm water.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

ground lamb or beef, 500 g
large onions, two (grated)
garlic, one clove (crushed)
large egg, one (beaten)
medium tomatoes, four
salt
black pepper
turmeric, one teaspoon (optional)
sumac (optional)

Directions:

Mix meat, onions, garlic, egg, salt, pepper and turmeric well and leave in the refrigerator overnight (or for several hours).

Press the meat around long, thick metal skewers and shape evenly. Thread whole tomatoes on another skewer. Barbeque each side for about five minutes, turning frequently. (If skewers are not available or barbequing is not possible, kabab-e koobideh can be shaped into long, thin portions on aluminum foil and grilled at high temperature in the oven. The oven should be pre-heated and kabab-e koobideh should be placed as high as possible near the source of the heat. Again, turn a few times.)

Ingredients: (6 servings)

lamb, 1 kg extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup 3 onions, grated 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 6 medium tomatos saffron, 1/2 teaspoon salt black pepper sumac (optional)

Directions:

Prepare marinade: combine olive oil, lime juice, onions, garlic, saffron, salt and black pepper. Cut lamb into 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm long pieces. Do not remove all the fat as you will need it to melt. Marinate overnight (preferrably 24 hours) in refrigerator. Container should be covered.

Ingredients: (8 servings) 8 large green or red peppers 500 grams (1 lb) ground beef or lamb 200 grams (0.5 lb) of long-grain or basmati rice 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1/2 cup of cooking oil 3-4 teaspoons of tomato paste salt black pepper 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped 1/3 cup mint, finely chopped 1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped 1/3 cup garlic chives, finely chopped 1/3 cup tarragon, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.

Fry prepared vegetables in cooking oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly.

Cut a circle at the top of the peppers and remove seeds. Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the peppers. They should be placed side by side (make sure not to stack them). Cook until they soften slightly. Take care not to overcook or they might fall apart later on. Drain the water and let cool.

Ingredients: (6 servings) 750 grams (1.5 lb) boneless stewing lamb or beef 1 large onion, finely chopped 1/3 cup of cooking oil 1 teaspoon turmeric 1.5 cups water 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup black-eye beans or kidney beans 1 large potato, diced salt black pepper 1 cup spring onions, finely chopped 1.5 cups spinach, finely chopped 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped (optional) 1/4 cup tareh (garlic chives), finely chopped 1/4 cup shanbelileh (fenugreek), finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Trim meat and cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes. Fry onion over medium heat in half of the oil until golden. Add turmeric and fry for 2 more minutes.

Increase heat, add meat cubes and stir over high heat until meat changes color and begins to turn brown. Reduce heat.

Add water, black-eye or kidney beans, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer gently for 1-1.5 hours hours until meat is tender. Time depends on type of meat used.

Fry potatoes over high heat in the remaining oil until lightly browned. Add to sauce, leaving oil in the pan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Ingredients: (6 servings) Basmati or Long Grain Rice, 100 grams Ground Beef or Lamb, 500 grams Chick-pea Flour, 100 grams Herbs (spring onion ends, parsley, common-dill, sweet-fennel, mint, tarragon), 500 grams 3 Eggs Split-peas, 100 grams 3-4 onions 0.5 cup of cooking oil 2-3 spoons of turmeric (or tomato paste) Salt Black pepper Barberries, 100 grams Walnuts, 100 grams

Directions:

Koofteh-Berenji is a delicious ball of meat, rice and herbs with extra goodies inside. Cook rice in some water with a bit of salt until it softens, then filter out the water. Do the same to split-peas.

Mix rice, split-peas, chick-pea flour, meat, eggs, salt and pepper very well. Cut the herbs very finely and mix in with the rest. Chop the onions and fry in oil until golden. Save some of the fried onions. Add 5-6 glasses of water to the rest of the onions with a bit of salt, pepper and turmeric (or tomato paste) and bring to boil.

Ingredients: (4 servings) Chicken, 1 kg Basmati or Long Grain Rice, 500 grams Yogurt, 500 grams Saffron, 1 spoon 2 onions 3 eggs (yolks only) Cooking oil Salt Black pepper

Directions:

Start by washing rice and soaking it in warm water (with added salt) for 2 hours. Then filter out the water.

Chop onions into thin slices and fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut chicken and and fry in onions until color changes. Add some water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly until cooked, adding more water if needed. Remove the bones.

While chicken is cooking, beat the yogurt until it is smooth. Dissolve saffron in half a cup of hot water. Add saffron, salt, pepper and egg-yolks to the yogurt and mix very well.

Pour a few glasses of water in a large pot and bring to boil. Pour in rice and cook while stirring occasionally until rice grows longer and slightly softens (Take care not to overcook the rice. It should still be too hard for eating). Again filter out the water.

Pour several spoons of oil and several spoons of the yogurt mix into a non-stick pot. Add a thin layer of rice and flatten using the back of a spoon. Add a layer of chicken on top followed by another layer of rice. Again flatten the rice. Spread several more spoons of the yogurt mix on the rice. Continue in this fashion until chicken, rice and the yogurt mix have been used up. Add some more oil on top. Put the lid on and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Place the pot in an oven (preheated to 250 F) and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. Note that the longer Tah-Chin is cooked, the thicker the Tah-Dig (delicious crispy layer of rice at the bottom) will be. When cooked, remove the lid and let cool for a few minutes.

Ingredients: (6 servings) Stewing lamb or beef, 500 grams Okras, 750 grams Potatoes, 500 grams (optional) 3-4 onions Fresh Lime juice, 2-3 spoons Tomato paste, 3-4 spoons Cooking oil Salt Black pepper

Directions:

Chop onions into thin slices and fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly until meat is mostly cooked, adding more water if needed.

Wash okras and cut their stems only but do not cut the bases. Add okras, salt, pepper and tomato paste to the meat and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the okras so that they do not become slippery.

Add lime juice and adjust seasoning. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Khoresht Bamieh should be served with white rice.

Ingredients: (6 servings) Chicken pieces, 1-1.5 kgs Ground walnuts, 500 grams 3-4 onions Pomegranate juice, 3-4 glasses (or 4-5 spoons of pomegranate paste) Sugar, 2-3 spoons 1/2 cup of cooking oil Salt

Directions:

Chop onions into thin pieces and fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash chicken pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly until chicken is half-cooked, adding more water if needed.

Add salt, ground walnuts and pomegranate juice or paste (if using pomegranate paste, add 2 more glasses of water and bring to slow boil). If pomegranate juice or paste is sour, add some sugar to the khoresht.

Ingredients: (4 servings) basmati or long-grain rice, 500 grams chicken, 800 grams cooking oil butter barberries (dried), four spoons sugar, one spoon onions, two large saffron, 1/2 teaspoon salt black pepper

Directions:

Remove the skin from chicken pieces. Marinate chicken in grated onions, salt and pepper for 4-5 hours.

Cook rice using the recipe given for polow or kateh.

Wash barberries twice with cold water and drain the water. Add sugar and fry in butter over medium heat for about five minutes.

Pour saffron in a small bowl. Pour in 2-3 spoons of hot water and mix. Fill the bowl with rice and mix well. Add saffron-rice and barberries to the rest of the rice and mix well.

Ingredients: (6 servings) Stewing lamb or beef, 750 grams Split-peas, 250 grams 3-4 onions potatoes, 500 grams 1/2 cup of cooking oil 2-3 spoons of tomato paste 3-4 crushed, dried limes (small ones with sour taste); freshly-squeezed lime juice can be used instead salt black pepper spices (turmeric, paprika), 1 spoon

Directions:

Prior to cooking, soak split-peas in warm water for 2-3 hours, then drain out the water.

Chop onions and fry in oil until golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of water and bring to boil. Let boil slowly for 1-1.5 hours until mostly cooked, adding more water if needed.

Peel and wash potatoes and cut into small pieces. Add potatoes, split-peas, salt, pepper, spices and tomato paste and continue boiling slowly until cooked. Add more water if needed during cooking.

Ingredients: (6 servings) Stewing lamb or beef, 500 grams Celery, 2 bunches 3-4 onions Fresh Lime juice, one cup Sugar, 2-3 spoons Mint and parsley, 500 grams (optional) 1/2 cup of cooking oil Salt Black pepper

Directions:

Chop onions into thin pieces and fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of water and bring to boil. Let boil slowly for about 1 hour until meat is half-cooked, adding more water if needed.

Wash celery and cut into 3 cm pieces. Finely chop mint and parsely and fry slightly in oil. Add celery, mint, parsely, salt and pepper to the meat and continue boiling slowly until cooked (celery should not become too soft).

Khoresht karafs can be made without mint and parsley. In that case, three bunches of celery should be used.

Ingredients: (6 servings) stewing lamb or beef, 500 grams string beans, 750 grams potatoes, 500 grams (optional) 3-4 onions fresh Lime juice, 2-3 spoons tomato paste, 3-4 spoons cooking oil salt black pepper

Directions:

Chop onions into thin slices and fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly until meat is half-cooked, adding more water if needed.

While meat is cooking, wash French beans, cut the ends and chop into 2-3 cm pieces. Add French beans, salt, pepper and tomato paste to the meat and continue until cooked. Add lime juice and adjust seasoning. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Khoresht Loobia-Sabz should be served with white rice.

Ingredients: (4 servings) ground lamb (or beef), 500 grams chickpea flour, 300 grams onions, two regular fresh lime juice (or vinegar), one cup sugar, 3-4 spoons cooking oil saffron, 1/2 teaspoon salt black pepper

Directions:

Dissolve half of saffron in a cup of hot water and add with salt, pepper and chickpea flour to ground lamb (or beef) and mix well. If necessary, gradually mix in some more water so that the mix does not stick to the hand.

Ingredients: (4 servings) chicken, 500 grams mushrooms, 500 grams onions, 2 large wheat flour, one spoonful fresh lime juice, 3-4 spoonfuls saffron, 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil salt black pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash chicken pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add a glass of hot water, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients: (4 servings) chicken, 1 kg pitted prunes, 400 grams onions, 2 large saffron, 1/2 teaspoon potatoes, 2 large cooking oil salt

Directions:

Wash prunes and soak in two glasses of cold water for 30 minutes.

Peel and slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash chicken pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add salt and prunes (with the water they were soaked in) to chicken and cook over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes.

Ingredients: (4 servings) lentil, 400 grams long-grain or basmati rice, 500 grams ground beef or lamb, 400 grams dates (pitted), 100 grams raisins, 120 grams saffron, 1/2 teaspoon onions, 2 large cooking oil salt black pepper

Directions:

Soak rice in water for 3-4 hours, then cook in salted water for 10-15 minutes using a non-stick pot until it just softens. Drain water and empty the pot.

Bring 2-3 cups of water to boil. Wash lentil and add to water with a bit of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until tender.

Peel and chop onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add ground beef or lamb, salt and black pepper, and fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add one cup of hot water and cook until water has been mostly absorbed.

Wash raisins and dates. Pour 1/2 cup of water and some oil in the non-stick pot. Pour in half of the rice. Follow with meat, lentil, raisins, dates and raisins. Then add in remainder of rice. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Dissolve saffron in 1/3 cup of hot water and pour over the rice. Mix well before serving.