Ingredients:

8 small eggplants
400 grams ground lamb or beef
100 grams of long-grain or basmati rice
2 medium onions, finely chopped
cooking oil
2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste
fresh lime juice, 3-4 teaspoons
sugar, 2-3 teaspoons
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)

Procedure:

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. Fryprepared 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. Peel eggplants and cut a circle at the tops, then remove insides without creating any holes at the sides or the end. Sprinkle some salt inside the eggplants. Mix prepared meat, vegetables and rice well. Fill the eggplants with the mix and close the tops. Fry eggplants in cooking oil for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, then place in a pot side by side (avoid stacking them). Dissolve one teaspoon of tomato paste in a glass of hot water and add to eggplants. Add salt, black pepper, lime juice and sugar and simmer for 5-10 minutes until water boils off.

Ingredients:

21/2 cups Basmati rice
1/2 package extra firm tofu - small cubes
2 cups white cabbage - shredded
1 medium onion - sliced in half moons
2-3 tomatoes chopped thinly or 1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. cinnamon and cloves powder
31/2 cup olive oil
few strands saffron
1 tbsp. lime juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Procedure:

Soak the rice for about an hour and then cook it till it is al-dente or just short of tender. Heat about 11/2 tsp. oil in a pan and fry the onions till it starts turning brown. Add tofu and cook it tofu starts turning golden. Add about 1/4 cup water, clove and cinnamon powder, 1/2 of the saffron strands (soak them in water first), tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook it for another 2-3 minutes till everything mixes well together. Add 1 tsp. oil in a pan and add the cabbage. Cook it for 5-6 minutes till it starts turning golden and tender. Add salt and pepper and cook for another min on low. Add chopped cilantro and set it aside. Now bring 1/4 cup water and 1 tbsp. to a boil. Then add layers of rice alternating it with cabbage and Tofu. I did ice-tofu-rice, cabbage-rice-tofu-rice. The top layer should be rice and it is usually arranged so that it builds up to a dome shape. Heat another 1/4 cup water and 1 tbsp. oil and pour it over the rice. Close the lid tightly and cook it on low heat for 30-40 min. In the meantime, mix about 2 tbsp. rice with the rest of the saffron water and keep it aside for garnishing. For serving, toss the rice gently together and serve garnished with saffron rice.

Ingredients:

1 pound jar grape leaves or fresh grape leaves
1 pound lamb, ground or cut into very small pieces
1 cup rice, rinsed
2 medium onions, very finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups tomato juice mixed with 1 teaspoon oregano

Procedure:

Thoroughly wash out salt from grape leaves in jar, then set aside. If using fresh grape leaves, dip the leaves in boiling water, then drain and use. Prepare stuffing by combining all remaining ingredients, except 1 teaspoon of the salt and tomato juice. Place approximately heaping tablespoon stuffing, depending on size, on wide end of each leaf, then roll tightly, making sure to tuck in ends when rolling. Continue until all leaves are rolled. Place any extra leaves on bottom of a saucepan, then arrange rolls over top side by side in alternating layers. Sprinkle remaining salt over top, then pour tomato juice over rolls. Cover with inverted plate, then add enough water to barely cover plate. Bring to boil, then cover. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour or until meat and rice are done. Serve hot as main course or for snacks.

Ingredients:

500 grams lamb or beef
2 bunches celery
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 medium onions
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric & black pepper

Procedure:

Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until color changes. Add 2-3 glasses of hot water and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes, adding more hot water during cooking if needed. Wash celery and cut into 3 cm pieces. Finely chop mint and parsley and fry slightly in oil. Add celery, mint, parsley, salt to the meat and continue cooking for about 20 minutes (celery should not become too soft). Khoresht Karafs can be made without mint and parsley or you can use 2 teaspoon of dry mint. Add lime juice and sugar to taste and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Taste the juice and make adjustments as desired. Serve Khoresht Karafs with plain rice (Polow or Chelow).

Ingredients:

750 grams boneless stewing lamb or beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup of cooking oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup dried limes (or fresh lime juice)
3/4 cup black-eye beans or kidney beans
1 large potato, diced (optional)
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)

Procedure:

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 to 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. Add prepared vegetables to frying pan and fry over medium heat until wilted. Add to sauce, then add dried limes (or lime juice), cover and simmer for further 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with white rice. An exquisite Iranian dish. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 kg.chicken
500 grams basmati or long grain rice
300 grams yogurt (Greek if possible)
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 large onions
3 eggs yolks
cooking oil
salt
black pepper

Procedure:

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, remove skin, 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-Cheen 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. Place an inverted large dish over the pot and turn it over. Tap the pot in order to loosen the contents inside. The contents should fall on the dish in one piece with the Tah-Dig on the outside.

Ingredients:

1 kg.chicken
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium tomatoes
salt
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon saffron, (optional)

Procedure:

Prepare marinade: mix olive oil, grated onions, saffron, salt and black pepper. Wash and cut chicken into small pieces, then remove the skin. Marinate overnight (or at least for several hours) in refrigerator. The container should be covered.Thread chicken on long, thin metal skewers. Thread leg and thigh pieces, wings and breast pieces separately, as breast requires slightly less cooking. Also thread whole tomatoes separately on another skewer. Brush with marinade. Barbecue for about 5-10 minutes on each side, turning frequently. Joojeh Kabab can also be prepared in the oven. Prepare chicken as before, preheat the grill to a high temperature, and place just under the grill, again turning frequently. Serve hot with basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread.

Ingredients:

whole fish (such as salmon or cod)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
50 grams coriander
50 grams parsley
50 grams mint
1/2 teaspoon saffron
salt
black pepper

Procedure:

Note that fresh fish should have raised eyes and should be bright red under the ears. Cut fish length-wise from below. Remove insides, then wash inside and out, and dry thoroughly. Place each side under grill at high temperature for 5-10 minutes so that the skin dries up. Remove fish and separate skin which should come off easily. Prepare sauce as following: wash and finely chop coriander, parsley and mint. Add lime juice, olive oil, saffron, salt, and black pepper, and mix well. Cover a suitable pan with aluminum foil and place fish on top. Add the sauce on both sides as well as inside. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and cook in oven at medium temperature for 45 minutes to one hour. Note however that exact cooking time depends on the type and size of fish. Take care not to over-cook. Add more sauce 2 or 3 times during cooking. When cooked, decorate fish with slices of lime or lemon and some parsley. Serve with Sabzi-Polow.

Ingredients:

600 grams shoulder lamb
3 medium onions
Iranian (sangak), middle-eastern, or pitta bread
cooking oil
salt
black pepper
turmeric

Procedure:

Peel and thinly slice onions. Wash and cut meat into small pieces. Add onions and 3 glasses of hot water to meat and cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes (adding more hot water during cooking if necessary). Add salt, pepper, and turmeric, mix well and cook for a few more minutes. There should be no water left when cooking is over. Grind (mince) the cooked meat or chop it finely using a sharp, large knife. Fry in oil over medium heat for about 15 minutes, then serve over bread with more bread covering the meat. Note that no rice is served with this dish.

Ingredients:

500 grams lean ground lamb or beef
500 grams small potatoes
3-4 medium eggs
2-3 medium onions
2 spoons chopped parsley
one cup bread crumbs
Cooking oil
Salt & Black pepper

Procedure:

Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes over high heat until they soften, then peel and mash them. Peel and grate onions. Add to potatoes with eggs, salt, black pepper, parsley, and meat. Mix well until the mix is quite even. Remove balls from the mix about 4-5 cm in diameter. Spread bread crumbs on a flat surface. Roll each ball in bread crumbs until it is fully covered. Shape the ball into an ellipse with a thickness of 1 cm. Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan. Fry each Kotlet over medium heat on both sides until golden. Serve with parsley, sliced tomatoes, and flat bread. Makes 4 servings.