Salad/pickles/ jams – Rozina's Persian Kitchen

Marinated Olives (Zeytoon Parvardeh)

December 8, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

In Northern cities of Iran, having pickled garlic with 7-10 years old and marinated olives in their daily meals is a MUST.

If you are an olive lover, so perhaps my following post can caught your attention. I love this salad or pickle which is called ‘ Zytoon Parvardeh’ or marinated olives with walnuts, pomegranate molasses, garlic and spices such as ground angelica. A lovely combination of these ingredients create beautifully a delicious dish with a unique flavour.

Olive is called ‘ Zeytoon’ in Persian and Arabic languages. There are recipes for marinated olives and this is Persian style marinated olives.

All my favourite things I mean, garlic, pomegranate, olive are in one package 🙂

marinated olives or zeytoon parvarddeh, is a tasty Persian dip/ salad or pickle from Gilan Province near Caspian Sea in North of Iran.

Like other recipes, there are different versions of this salad/pickle. In some recipes use whole olives in other recipe use minced olives. I personally prefer to use not minced olives.

Ingredients

500g olives, remove stones
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, grated (You can add more garlic if you wish)
1 cup pomegranate molasses
1 tsp ground angelica (Golpar)
2 tbsp virgin olive oil

How to make it?????

If pitted olives are very salted, it is better to rinse them under cool water. Then in a large bowl add pitted olives (as whole olives or roughly chopped), chopped walnuts, grated garlic, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and ground angelica ( give beautiful taste and fragrance to the salad).

Stir well and ready to serve main course like rice , or fish dishes and bread.

You may store zeytoon parvardeh in a jar with tight lid and keep in the fridge for several months.

Marinated olives

Ingredients

500g olives, remove stones
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, grated (You can add more garlic if you wish)
1 cup pomegranate molasses
1 tsp ground angelica (Golpar)
2 tbsp virgin olive oil

How to make it?????

You may store zeytoon parvardeh in a jar with tight lid and keep in the fridge for several months.

Couscous Vegetable Farm

October 31, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

A crazy couscous salad for Halloween. By the way i shared my this recipes for a competition in Cookpad UK and I was winner of the Cookpad UK , Halloween contest 2018.

Ingredients

1 sachet couscous
2 beetroots, cooked
2-3 fresh or pickled onions
2 fresh mint leaves
3-4 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??!!!

Empty the contents of the sachet into a bowl and add boiling water according to the instruction. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a spoon to separate the grains.

Add Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and mix together.

Now in a glass plate, place vegetables and cover them with cooked couscous.

Couscous vegetable salad

Ingredients

1 sachet couscous

2 beetroots, cooked

2-3 fresh or pickled onions

2 fresh mint leaves

3-4 cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??!!!

Empty the contents of the sachet into a bowl and add boiling water according to the instruction. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a spoon to separate the grains. Add Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and mix together. Now in a glass plate, place vegetables and cover them with cooked couscous.

Kimchi

October 21, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

I love any kind of salads and pickles. Kimchi is one of those pickles that I enjoy a lot. Kimchi in Korean cuisine is a traditional dish. There are many kinds of kimchi recipes made from salted vegetables. I have attached some photos some of different kimchi.

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Kimchi was traditionally made in large amounts and then stored in ceramic jars to keep cool. It’s delicious, hot and easy to make.

As you see in the following photos, kimchi is very red due to chilli powder. In some areas of Korea, kimchi is made with less salt and chilli so it is brighter colour and in some area is made with more salt and more chilli powder, therefore, it is deep red colour and very hot. So using chilli powder would be based on your taste, if you enjoy hot dish, so add as much as you like, but in my recipe I made a mild taste kimchi.

This is traditional style kimchi.If you have never made kimchi , this is good chance to learn how to make traditional and easy kimchi.

Ingredients

500 g napa cabbage
6 tbsp salt
1 tbsp white or brown sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp gluten free rice flour ( if you have not access to this kind of flour, simply use plain or all purpose flour)
1 cup water
3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
2 ½ ginger, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp chilli powder ( you can add even more, if you wish, it depends on your taste)
1 tsp black pepper
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup radishes( white or red), cut into thin pieces

How to make it??

Slice the cabbage into short strips. In a large bowl with water add add cabbage and 6 tbsp salt. Mix and set aside for an hour.

Meanwhile, make porridge for the kimchi 🙂 at this point, add 1 cup water, and rice flour in a pot and mix it well. Once started to boiling( it takes about 9 minutes). Remove from the heat. Now you have a thin soupy porridge. Let it cool down.

Now, rinse the cabbage under cold running water and drain well thoroughly.

For making the kimchi paste, put garlic, ginger, and onion in the blender and mince them.

Add minced mixture, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper and chilli flakes to the rice flour porridge and mix.

Then add all chopped vegetables to the paste and mix well. Kimchi paste is ready. Now mix the paste with the cabbage leaves.

Store it in a jar or container in the fridge for 2 days until kimchi starts fermenting. At this point kimchi smell sour cabbage and top or surface of the kimchi is bubbling.

You might serve kimchi with rice or soup.

IMG_20181013_125452 IMG_20181013_125621 IMG_20181013_125502 IMG_20181013_125626 IMG_20181013_125623 IMG-bf61341a4b1d2e6d926c70611436217a-V IMG-bcd326326c4842b92b8cdf885d6e8f5d-V IMG-1cb4d9d3646fd4c322b7029d59e02a57-V IMG-a7feece3fe629cc82dbef14feabfcc32-V IMG-ad25765b57d440d4e41785842bd7033c-V IMG-8f66f4559bc85815e81b70fc89ae30fe-V

Kimchi

Ingredients

500g napa cabbage
6tbsp salt
1tbsp white or brown sugar
1tbsp plus 1tsp gluten free rice flour ( if you have not access to this kind of flour, simply use plain or all purpose flour)
1 cup water
3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
2 ½ ginger, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp chilli powder ( you can add even more, if you wish, it depends on your taste)
1tsp black pepper
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup radishes( white or red), cut into thin pieces

How to make it??

Slice the cabbage into short strips. In a large bowl with water add add cabbage and 6 tbsp salt. Mix and set aside for an hour. Meanwhile, make porridge for the kimchi 🙂 at this point, add 1 cup water, and rice flour in a pot and mix it well. Once started to boiling( it takes about 9 minutes). Remove from the heat. Now you have a thin soupy porridge. Let it cool down.

Now, rinse the cabbage under cold running water and drain well thoroughly. For making the kimchi paste, put garlic, ginger, and onion in the blender and mince them.

Add minced mixture, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper and chilli flakes to the rice flour porridge and mix. Then add all chopped vegetables to the paste and mix well. Kimchi paste is ready. Now mix the paste with the cabbage leaves. Store it in a jar or container in the fridge for 2 days until kimchi starts fermenting. At this point kimchi smell sour cabbage and top or surface of the kimchi is bubbling. You might serve kimchi with rice or soup.

Potato Salad

September 25, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

Potato salad is a popular dish, made with boiled potatoes and other ingredients. There are so many variations of potato salad and today I have also two good ones. This is an instant and easy salad.

Ingredients

5 potatoes
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
½ cup yogurt or Mayo
1 clove of garlic, grated
1tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Place the potatoes in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover the top of potatoes. Add 1 tsp salt to the water. Cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes. skin off potatoes, add butter or olive oil, lemon juice, and mash with potato masher.

Now, add all above munitioned spices and chopped parsley. Mix all together. Taste again, if needs add more salt and pepper.

Take an orange size of potato mixture and shape it like a bowl ( as you see in the photos). Once all potato bowls are done, place them in a plate and set aside.

Now, mix yogurt with grated garlic, pinch of pepper and mix them.

Pour 1-2 tbsp of yogurt inside each potato ball. Serve potato salad topped with sweet chilli sauce.

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Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 potatoes
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
½ cup yogurt or Mayo
1 clove of garlic, grated
1tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Now, add all above munitioned spices and chopped parsley. Mix all together. Taste again, if needs add more salt and pepper.

Take an orange size of potato mixture and shape it like a bowl ( as you see in the photos). Once all potato bowls are done, place them in a plate and set aside.

Now, mix yogurt with grated garlic, pinch of pepper and mix them. Pour 1-2 tbsp of yogurt inside each potato ball. Serve potato salad topped with sweet chilli sauce.

Potato-Beetroot Salad

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

This potato beetroot salad is a light, fresh, colourful and delicious salad.

Ingredients

5 potatoes
1 large beetroot, cooked and grated
½ lemon or lime
½ cup yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp cooked carrots
2 tbsp cooked corn
2 tbsp cooked green peas
2 tbsp pickled cucumber, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Place the potatoes in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover the top of potatoes. Add 1 tsp salt to the water. Cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes. skin off potatoes, and mash with potato masher.

Squeeze grated beetroot to get rid of juice. Add beetroot, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil, to the mashed potatoes and mix all ingredients together. Taste again, if needs add more salt and pepper.

Take an orange size of potato mixture and shape it like a bowl ( as you see in the photos). Once all potato bowls are done, place them in a plate and set aside.

Mix yogurt and mayo in a bowl. Add cooked carrots, corn, green peas and pickled cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all together.

Pour 1 tbps of yogurt mixture inside each potato bowl and serve it.

Potato-Beetroot Salad

Ingredients

5 potatoes
1 large beetroot, cooked and grated
½ lemon or lime
½ cup yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp cooked carrots
2 tbsp cooked corn
2 tbsp cooked green peas
2 tbsp pickled cucumber, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Place the potatoes in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover the top of potatoes. Add 1 tsp salt to the water. Cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes. skin off potatoes, and mash with potato masher.

Squeeze grated beetroot to get rid of juice. Add beetroot, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil, to the mashed potatoes and mix all ingredients together. Taste again, if needs add more salt and pepper.

Take an orange size of potato mixture and shape it like a bowl ( as you see in the photos). Once all potato bowls are done, place them in a plate and set aside. Mix yogurt and mayo in a bowl.

Add cooked carrots, corn, green peas and pickled cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all together. Pour 1 tbps of yogurt mixture inside each potato bowl and serve it.

Mimosa Salad

August 31, 2018September 4, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

Mimosa salad, is a traditional, scrumptious and satisfying layered Russian salad. Mimosa got it’s name from Mimosa Spring flower.

This tasty salad is popular in Russia and has a wide variety of recipes. For instance, typically it is made with canned fish but in some other recipes there is cooked chicken instead. Or in some recipes there is mixture of Mayonnaise and cheese. In this salad all ingredients are grated finely and layered.

It’s really tasty salad especially with fresh dill leaves for garnishing, you will experience a piece of heaven in your plate.

Ingredients

one canned tuna in oil, drained
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated
2 medium carrots, boiled, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, whites and yolks separated after boiling
Mayonnaise
Fresh dill leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Arrange grated potatoes evenly on the bottom of plate and press down with a spoon. Season with pinch of salt and pepper, then on top of potatoes, goes some Mayonnaise.

On top of potatoes, make fish layer then cover this layer with chopped onion and then spread Mayonnaise.

Then arrange grated carrots, season with salt and pepper and spread Mayonnaise. Now, cover top of carrots with egg whites, season with salt and pepper and , spread Mayonnaise.

For last layer, arrange egg yolks, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill leaves or any other fresh green herbs to make it similar to Mimosa flower.

You can keep this salad in the fridge for few days. As i mentioned above, you can use chicken instead of canned fish, or cooked rice instead of potatoes.

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Mimosa Salad

Ingredients

one canned tuna in oil, drained
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated
2 medium carrots, boiled, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, whites and yolks separated after boiling
Mayonnaise
Fresh dill leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it??

Drain the fish and mash it with a fork. Prepare your serving plate or dish. In my serving plate I am using a Springform pan that will give a nice round shape to my salad but this is optional and you can just layering ingredients on a plate in any shape you wish. Arrange grated potatoes evenly on the bottom of plate and press down with a spoon. Season with pinch of salt and pepper, then on top of potatoes, goes some Mayonnaise.

On top of potatoes, make fish layer then cover this layer with chopped onion and then spread Mayonnaise. Then arrange grated carrots, season with salt and pepper and spread Mayonnaise. Now, cover top of carrots with egg whites, season with salt and pepper and , spread Mayonnaise. For last layer, arrange egg yolks, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill leaves. You can keep this salad in the fridge for few days.

Vegetables and Fruits Decoration

May 5, 2018October 2, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

Making a creative and colourful salad plate with carving with vegetables and fruits carving is very relaxation job, lots of fun and result is really cool.

Ingredients

Red- yellow bell peppers
Radish
Strawberries
Spring onion

Method

Chop the radish half way through on opposite sides.

Make several elliptical cuts around the strawberry.

Cut bell pepper in half. Cut out triangles around the side of the bell pepper. Carefully cut the skin from the flesh of the bell pepper and peel it back.

Keep all these fruits and vegetables in a separate bowl with cold water for about 1-2 hours. This will keep them fresh and will help them to bloom like flower.

Tuna salad

February 23, 2018August 14, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

A healthy, delicious , light and filling meal for lunch or dinner. Perfect in sandwich or wrap. Very easy to prepare and it’s ready in minutes.

Ingredients

1 tin tuna, drained
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup pitted black olives and chopped
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
2 hard boiled eggs
1tsp paprika
Salt, pepper to taste

Method

Break up tuna with a fork. In a bowl, add the tuna, olives, bell peppers, eggs and mayonnaise. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir together . Refrigerate until serving.

Persian Dried Rose Petals Jam (Morabay-e Gol-e Sorkh)

January 13, 2018September 7, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

National flowers of Iran are: Rose- Tulip- Mediterranean Cypress and Louts. Among them, rose flowers are most popular and loving between Iranian and have such an especial place.
Rose water which is called ‘ Golab’ In Farsi ( Persian) language, is a flavour water made by steeping beautiful rose petals in water and during a long process, rose water produce.
In Iran, rose water and rose petals is used to flavour food, sweeties, and is also used in cosmetic industry (as a source of perfume or cream and lotions), and in medical issues.
Rose water has ceremonial functions as well.

With rose petals can make wonderful jam or tea which is luxurious.
Using Rose water and drinking of delicious herbal rose petal tea has variety of physical health. It can help immune system boost, benefit for skin and hair, improve digestion, can help calm stress.
The flavour of roses is distinct and immediately recognizable, and it looks as wonderful as it tastes.
Rose petals jam is one of traditional jams between Azerbaijani people. This jam might be made with fresh rose petals or dried ones. In Azerbaijani language rose flower calls ‘ Gezil gul’ . Rose petals jam usually is made in mountains areas of Azerbaijan.
This recipe for making a delicious jam is with dried rose petals.

Ingredients

2.1/2 cups water
1 cup dried rose petals
2 cups sugar
2Tbsp lemon/lime juice
2Tbsp chopped walnuts

Preparation
In a dry pan, roast dried rose petals for 2 minutes, stir constantly until get crunch. Set aside. Place the water in a sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil. Pour 1 cup of boiled water over the roasted rose petals.

Cover it with a lid and let to rest and become soft for 1 hour.

Stir sugar in the remaining of boiled water and bring it to a boil again. In this step, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, simmer until syrup become thick and reduce to half.

Then, add rose petals to the syrup and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off. Place a kitchen towel over the lid of the pot and let steam on it’s own and cool off. The towel will catch the moisture.Add chopped walnuts to the cool rose jam. You can add pinch of cardamom as well (it’s optional).

This tasty jam with silky texture and chopped walnuts in, has a unique flavour. Might be used for garnishing ice cream, cake, Persian rice flour pudding (Fereni) or spread on bread with butter or clotted cream and a cuppa tea. Soooooooo good.

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Traditional Herb Salad with Bread and Cheese (Sabzi Khordan)

January 11, 2018September 9, 2018 rozinaspersiankitchenLeave a comment

In Persian food table you will always have vegetable or herbs salad in summer time and different types of pickles in winter season. These salads are made of fresh fruits or vegetables that usually housewives are buying straightly fresh from vegetable grocery.

sabxi gojeh
In my country when we buy herbs, it is always selling in big bunches of very fresh herbs ( Sabzi khordan) . Popular herbs or Sabzi khordan in our Persian table includes: chives , radish. scallion . mint , dill , basil . parsley , coriander tarragon and watercress

You need to pick herbs from stalks and then put them in a big bowl of cold water and let soak for 10 minutes and then drain in a colander. You can keep them fresh for few days in the fridge by wrapping herbs in a cotton towel.

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You can serve these beautiful green and aromatic herbs in a basket or platter. You can have all these herbs or just get herbs you fancy, I am sure once you eat, you will not stop and eat more and more specially when you serve herbs with warm and fresh breads and feta cheese :).
These herbs are enough flavoured that no need to any dressing.