What are some classic Iranian meals?

Question

Something you would find in someone's home, not a restaurant. Like meatloaf in US or arroz con pollo in Mexico.

Answer 1

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/F.Mokhtarian/recipes/

http://persia.org/Recipes/recipes.html

http://www.iranmania.com/travel/eating/default.asp

http://www.farsinet.com/farsieats/recipes/

http://www.iranonline.com/iranhall/recipe/

Answer 2

I should bow in deference to Desi Chef -- here goes -- I bow! Off and on over the last few years I've worked (as a volunteer) for Najmieh Batmanglij (the Silk Route, etc) as a completely naive lover of Persian food using her books, I feel I can out do our local Persian restaurants. Try to get one of her books - "A Taste of Persia" is great. The khoreshes are Persian stew, relatively easy to make - and always turn out great(see the epicurious site). Her rice dishes, particularly the saffron rice, is a gem. (see the astray site).

Now a word of encouragement: the the recipes are lengthy, but they work -- follow them step by step (don't think, either Najmieh's crazy or you're crazy), keep going and ultimately you will have a Persian feast!

Answer 3

Abghust ("meat water"= stew) is pretty common and fairly simple to make. You'll always find rice, with the crispy bottom at meals with every meal, plus, a plate of fresh herbs.
http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/27/147469.shtml

Answer 4

The top dishes are:

Gormeh Sabzi
Chelo kabob
Koreshteh budemjun
Mahi and sabzi polo
Ghaimeh polo
Fesenjun
Zereshk polo and morgh

Answer 5

Gondi (Iranian Meatballs)
I8 servings
1¼ hours 20 min prep
1/2 kg ground turkey
1/4 kg cooked chickpeas
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper
3-4 large onions, grated
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup oil

Mix all the ingredients together.
Form balls.
Cook in boiling water or chicken soup for 45 minutes.

Rhonda Iranian Rice
when i was young i had a friend married to an iranian fellow she made this it was great she used the big can of tomato paste not the little can it was pretty tomatoey make sure its well greased cause the rice can stick cook on low

5 servings
1½ hours 30 min prep
1 lb hamburger
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 dash red peppers
salt
2 cups rice, washed and drained
oil
Pam cooking spray
1 (17 ounce) can green beans
1 onion

brown onions and green beans in skillet brwon hamburger and drain.
boil 3 quart pan of water for rice add rice to cook 10 minutes drain rice rinse with lukewarm water meanwhile add meat to vegtables with tomato paste and spices simmer til thick in tall pan pour oil in bottem of pan spray sides heavily with pam start layering with rice on bottom them hamburger mixture and repeat put wet dish rag around rim put lid on tight cook on low heat for 25 minutes place in cold water to unmold on plate.

Fesenjan (Iranian Special Occasion Dish)
I had this marvelous dish in a Mediterranean Cafe. The fragrance is wonderful and the taste sublime.
6-8 servings
1¼ hours 15 min prep
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cups walnuts, finely ground
2/3 cup pomegranate syrup
2 1/2 cups stock or water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons saffron (optional)
2 limes, juice of
2 1/2-3 lbs bone-in poultry, of choice

Heat butter or oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.
Add onions and sauté until wilted and translucent.
Add garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg and sauté, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes.
Stir in walnuts, pomegranate syrup, stock, sugar, salt, pepper and saffron.
Adjust sugar and salt to taste.
Bring to a low boil and simmer 1/2 hour.
Add chicken and simmer on low heat another 30-60 minutes.
Halfway through the cooking time, add the lime juice to taste.
The sauce will thicken and darken during this cooking time, and the oil will begin to render out of the walnuts.
Add water or stock if necessary to prevent the sauce from thickening too much and scorching.
Serve with plain white rice.
NOTES Fesenjan is special occasion food in Iran.
It is traditionally made with duck or pheasant in the north of the country along the Caspian sea.
It is a thick, rich, sweet-sour dish that improves in flavor the next day.
Pomegranate syrup is available in most Middle Eastern and health food stores.
If it is unavailable, you can use an equal amount of frozen, concentrated cranberry juice.
The flavor is roughly the same.
You can use a whole bone-in chicken if you like.
Cut it into 8 serving pieces and remove most of the skin.
The bones will give the dish a richer flavor.

Bastani Akbar-Mashti, Persian, (Iranian)
Traditional Persian Ice Cream, very delicious!
4 servings 4 min 2 min prep

4 1/4 cups vanilla ice cream
3 5/8 ounces heavy double cream
2 tablespoons rose water
pistachios (optional)

The double-cream used to prepare Bastani Akbar-Mashti should be extra thick.
Leave the double-cream in the freezer until frozen.
Cream or ice-cream should not be very hard.
Cut frozen double-cream into small pieces and mix with ice-cream.
Add rose-water and mix well.
Place the mix in the freezer for at least one hour.

Iranian Chicken With Rice (Morgh Polou)
This is a typical Iranian recipe using fruit with a meat or chicken. The saffron gives it a golden color and the scent while it is cooking is wonderful. It is not "spicy hot" but it is "spicy flavorful". There is a special way to cook Iranian rice but I have simplified this recipe using plain cooked rice - I prefer Basmati Rice I made this recipe using skinless boneless breasts - they turned out too dry I recommend that you use the whole chicken, skin on for this recipe
4 servings 1½ hours 20 min prep

3 lbs broiler-fryer chickens, cut up
salt & pepper
1/4 cup butter or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisins, sultanas
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons water
4 cups cooked rice

Season the chicken pieces with salt & pepper.
Using half the Ghee/butter brown the chicken, set aside.
Fry the onion until transparent in the remaining butter/ghee, add apricots & raisins cook 5 miniutes.
Stir in the cinnamon then add the 1/4 cup water to lift the browned sediment.
Place half the cooked rice in an oven proof dish placing the chicken on top.
Spread the apricot mixture over the chicken and top with remaining rice.
Cover the dish tightly and bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked & tender.
While the chicken is cooking mix the saffron with 2 tbsp boiling water, leave to steep.
Just before serving sprinkle saffron liquid over the top of the casserole , stir gently mixing the chicken, rice & saffron.
Serve heaped on a platter.

Iranian Rice with Beans and Dill Weed (Baqala Polo)
This is one of the most amazing dishes I've ever eaten. Rich and savory!
6 servings 1½ hours 30 min prep

3 cups long-grain rice, well-rinsed
8 cups water
salt
1/4 cup melted margarine
1/8 teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 2 tbs warm water (optional)
1 lb frozen lima beans
1/4 cup dried dill weed, or 3/4 cup fresh
Iranian Yogurt and Spinach (Borani-Ye Esfenaj)
1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons margarine or oil
salt and pepper
1 cup soy yogurt

Cook lima beans until done.
Drain.
Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Add rice to water.
Boil 5-10 minutes , until rice is no longer crunchy, but still firm.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Drain rice in colander.
Mix beans and dill weed with the rice.
Put half of the melted margarine in the bottom of the rice pot.
Put the rice back into the pot, a spoonful at a time, heaping it into a mound, not touching sides of pot.
With a chopstick or similar tool, poke holes in the rice in several places.
Pour the remaining melted margarine over the rice.
Cover the underside of the pot lid with a dish towel, and put lid tightly on pot.
Cook rice about 20 minutes over medium heat, then turn heat to low, and cook for another 30 minutes.
The rice on the bottom of the pot should become golden and crispy.
Soak bottom of pot in cold water for a few minutes, to loosen this.
Put rice onto a serving platter, surrounded by chunks of crispy rice.
Take 2/3 cup of the rice, mix it with the dissolved saffron, and sprinkle over the rest of the rice as a garnish.
Cook spinach in lightly salted water until tender
Drain well.
Chop.
Set aside.
Heat margarine or oil in a pan.
Add onions, and fry until golden.
Add spinach and fry together briefly.
Turn off heat.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Transfer to serving bowl or dish.
Mix in yogurt.