Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
6 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (19 ounce) can cannelloni beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried mixture of cloves and cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

Procedure:

In large pot sauté; the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, clove, bits of cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy! This is a highly balanced food with protein, minerals, and fiber. Makes 6 servings.

Samanoo is usually made at the Iranian new year (or No-Rooz, starts on the first day of spring: 20 or 21 March).

Ingredients:

500 grams wheat
2 kg. wheat flour

Procedure:

Wash wheat with cold water, then rinse. Add cold water until there is 2-3 cm of water over the wheat. Leave for about two days, changing the water after the first day. The wheat should begin to germinate. Rinse thoroughly. Hold a thin piece of cloth under cold water until it is completely wet. Pour wheat inside and wrap the cloth around it. Place it in a bowl and leave the bowl in a warm place. Once or twice a day, sprinkle a bit of cold water over the cloth to make it wet but not soggy. When roots appear, spread wheat on a large plate, then spread the cloth over it and sprinkle with water. Continue sprinkling with water once or twice a day until silvery sprouts appear. Wheat should be used before the sprouts turn green. Grind the wheat, add two glasses of cold water, and mix well. Filter out the excess water. Press the wheat hard to squeeze out the extract. Add wheat extract to flour while mixing. The mix should become thin. Place the mix over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mix starts boiling and thickens. Continue heating until water disappears. Fry the mix without any oil or sugar for about 10-15 minutes. Gradually add 1-2 glasses of hot water and mix well. Allow to boil slowly, stirring occasionally until the mix slightly thickens. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes at low temperature. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

250 grams wheat flour
200 grams sugar
200 grams cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 cup rosewater
pistachio, crushed
almond, crushed

Procedure:

To prepare it, heat oil in a frying pan until it is hot. Add flour, reduce heat and stir frequently until the mix changes color to golden, thickens and becomes fragrant. Add sugar to one glass of water and bring to a boil. Add saffron and rosewater and stir. Let flour cool slightly, then add the mix and stir well. If the mix is not thick, heat for 1-2 minutes but not longer. Serve with crushed pistachio and almond sprinkled on top. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

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

Procedure:

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. Barbecue each side for about five minutes, turning frequently. (If skewers are not available or barbecuing 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.) Serve with hot basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread. If serving with rice, some sumac may be sprinkled on top. If kabab-e koobideh was made in an oven, the juice from the kabab can be poured on rice or bread. Makes 4 servings.