Vegetarian kebab

Posted on September 27, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

This is one of the tastiest vegetarian kebabs which is made with bread and vegetabls. It is simple but super tasty and easy to make it, with crispy texture, golden outside and fulllllllllllll of flavour. You may serve it with yogurt, sweet chilli sauce, any kind of chutney or ketchup.

Ingredients

5 slices of fresh white or brown bread
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
1 onion
1 lemon juice
Handful fresh mint leaves
Handful fresh coriander leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
Small piece of fresh ginger
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it???

Put slices of bread into a food processor or blender and blend it until crush and look like soft bread crumbs and set aside.

Put cooked chickpeas into a mixing bowl. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mint and coriander leaves, lemon juice, yogurt and oil to the chickpeas. Blend until become purée. Add puree mixture and all spices to the bread crumbs, mix until combine well.

Grease your hand, take a small portion of mixture and roll it like a hot dog, however you can give ball shape or cutlet/ round burger shape too. Once all kebabs are done, you may push the wooden sticks into the kebab . it ‘s just optional.

Now heat the oil or butter in a saucepan. Place kebabs into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden crispy.

Serve it with your favourite sauce.

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Vegetarian kebab

Ingredients

5 slices of fresh white or brown bread
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
1 onion
1 lemon juice
Handful fresh mint leaves
Handful fresh coriander leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
Small piece of fresh ginger
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it???

Put slices of bread into a food processor or blender and blend it until crush and look like soft bread crumbs and set aside.

Grease your hand, take a small portion of mixture and roll it like a hot dog, however you can give ball shape or cutlet/ round burger shape too.

Once all kebabs are done, you may push the wooden sticks into the kebab . it ‘s just optional.

Now heat the oil or butter in a saucepan. Place kebabs into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden crispy.

Serve it with your favourite sauce.

Potato Salad

Posted on September 25, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

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

Posted on September 25, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

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.

Eggplant dish (Bademjan dish)

Posted on August 26, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

If you are eggplant( aubergine) lover, you know eggplant is delicious in a curry, or stew, on the barbecue , as a fried dish, as a salad or as a jam. This is a mouthwatering eggplant recipe which is a warm vegetable dish.

If you are interested in eggplant , I have more recipes , such as: Persian eggplant jam, Persian eggplant stew with chicken, deep fried eggplant, eggplant onion with tomato sauce, Turkish grilled eggplant salad, Persian eggplant dip ( kashk-e bademjan) , eggplant rice which are available in my web page.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cut lengthwise
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 larger onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
Small bunch of cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

How to make it??

Dice all vegetables into the pieces. Lay the pieces of eggplant in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to draw the moisture and bitterness out of the eggplant. It also helps the eggplant stay shapely when is cooking instead of becoming soggy.

Before cooking rinse the aubergine under cold water to remove the excess salt and then press the eggplant between kitchen towels.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place eggplant pieces in hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes until aubergines are nice and golden brown.

I love fried aubergines. That’s why I could not resist and made a small bite of fried eggplant and ate it 🙂

In the same skillet, add chopped carrots, bell pepper and onion. Cook and tossing occasionally until vegetables are tender, it will take about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add fried eggplants to the vegetables and mix together.

Mix tomato paste with a cup of water and turmeric. Pour on the fried veggies, add tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes . Turn off the heat and let to sit for 10 minutes to develop more flavor.

Serve the dish with a mixture of yogurt with grated garlic.

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Eggplant dish

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cut lengthwise
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 larger onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
Small bunch of cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

How to make it??

Before cooking rinse the aubergine under cold water to remove the excess salt and then press the eggplant between kitchen towels. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place eggplant pieces in hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes until aubergines are nice and golden brown. In the same skillet, add chopped carrots, bell pepper and onion. Cook and tossing occasionally until vegetables are tender, it will take about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add fried eggplants to the vegetables and mix together.

Cabbage aash ( ash-e kalam Azari)

Posted on August 25, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

Azerbaijan is located in NW of Iran. People of this region have their own magnificent recipes. This is one of those.

It is called ‘Azari cabbage aash or kalam aashi in Azari language. Maybe you ask what is aash ( aush) ?? In Iranian cuisine there are two kinds of liquid food. Aash is a thick soup which is served warm and hot and exactly like soup made with variation of vegetables, noodles,, stocks and spices. This dish is spelling: Ash, aash, aush, ashe.

But soup is a thin and light liquid food, served warm and made by combining vegetables with water, stock, spices,…

Ash or aush is popular food in Iranian, Turkish, Afghani, Azerbaijani and Caucasian cuisine.There are tens and tens of thick soup in Persian cuisine. Like Ash reshteh ( noodle soup), ash doogh, ash anaar, ……

photo (11).jpg

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup cabbage leaves, finely chopped
2 cups fresh herbs: spring onions, coriander, parsley, spinach, finely chopped
4 tbsp fried onions
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 beef stock cubes
3-4 tbsp Yogurt
1 tsp dried mint (fry in oil for 1 minute)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

photo (16).jpg

How to make it??

Bring to a boil water in a pot, add beef stock cubes and dissolve them.

photo (1).jpg

Then, add cooked chickpeas,Oatmeal, oil and spices.Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Then, add chopped cabbage leaves, herbs and fried onions.

Stir occasionally. Allow aash cook for 20 minutes over low to medium heat. Pour your aash in a plate, garnish with fried onions, mint, and 2-3 spoons of yogurt.

photo (12) photo (13) photo (15) photo (14)

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Cabbage aash (a soup from Iranian Azerbaijan)

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup cabbage leaves, finely chopped
2 cups fresh herbs: spring onions, coriander, parsley, spinach, finely chopped
4 tbsp fried onions
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 beef stock cubes
3-4 tbsp Yogurt
1 tsp dried mint (fry in oil for 1 minute)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

How to make it??

Bring to a boil water in a pot, add beef stock cubes and dissolve them.Then, add cooked chickpeas,oatmeal, spices and oil.

Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Then add chopped cabbage leaves, herbs and fried onions. Stir occasionally. Let aash cook for 20 minutes over low to medium heat.Pour your aash in a plate, garnish with fried onions, mint, and 2-3 spoons of yogurt.

My Yogurt Balls

Posted on June 30, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

Hi my dear page visitors. I am just in love with these yogurt balls. Aren’t they gorgeous? They look like jewels. Very healthy, light and tasty snacks. It is fantastic when you see how easy yogurt transform into these tasty balls.

Once you made your yogurt balls , you may keep plain yogurt balls in a jar with some olive oil or topping and serve them.

For making these tasty yogurt balls you would need to get rid of yogurt liquid and I made it with traditional method, as you would see in the following recipe. Also you have myriad choices for topping from dried herbs to seeds and nuts.

Ingredients

500g Greek yogurt
2 tsp salt

For topping

Dried herbs such as: dill, mint, oregano, chives,
Smoked paprika
Pomegranate seeds
Chilli flakes
Dried rose petals
Chopped walnuts

Instructions

Stir salt into the yogurt . Pour the yogurt into a double layer of cheesecloth or kitchen cloth. Tied up the corners.. Hang it over a bowl and leave to drain for 24 hours, until all liquid left in the bowl and strain away.

That’s all you have to do . Resulting is a thick and creamy yogurt.

Shape it into little balls and roll in a topping your choice.

Smoothies

Posted on June 23, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

In summer time smoothies are great solution. You can make tens of smoothies with all fruits that you like and treat yourself and family members and friends with beautiful and scrumptious smoothies.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
3 large slices of melons
2 cups mixed frozen fruits
Vanilla yogurt
Milk
Honey
Nuts: almonds – walnuts or pistachio

Instructions

Peel and slice bananas and set aside. Cut melons into small pieces. Defrost frozen fruits.
Put your choice of fruit into the blender with 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 cup milk and 2 tbsp honey. Blend until smooth.
Once they are ready. Stir each one separately and serve in a glass and garnish with crushed nuts.

Deemaaj

Posted on May 27, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

Qazvin in NW of Tehran, is one of ancient cities of Iran. Qazvin was capital of the Persian Empire under Safavids for 57 years.

Nowadays, this city is one of important cultural and tourism centre in Iran due to archaeological sites, fortifications, monuments, ……. and beautiful sights and for its carpet patterns, poets, pistachio gardens and Sweets such as Baklava.

Name of my recipe is Demaaj or Dumaaj that is a traditional cold food in Qazvin and Tabriz. Dumaaj is a light, traditional and different food. When weather gets warmer, this food would be one of amazing cold food recipes for summer time.

Deemaaj is combination of Persian naan Lavash with aromatic fresh herbs, plain yogurt, cream and walnuts.

Recipe for this food is slightly different area by area. Deemaj is one of healthy foods for Iftar in month of Ramadan. One of essential ingredients for deemaaj is Persian naan Lavash. If you do not have access to this bread, tortillas bread would be good substitute.

Other ingredient is Iranain Paneer ( cheese) , and good substitute for cheese also would Greek cheese.

Preparing this food is very cheap and easy. You can store it for several days in the fridge. I recommend you to try this refreshing and light meal for a warm summer afternoon.

Ingredients

1 large Persian Lavash naan bread ( 2 tortillas bread)
2 medium cucumber, finely chopped
4-5 spring onions, finely chopped
Small bunch of each herbs includes: dill, chives, mint, coriander, parsley, tarragon
100 g chopped walnuts
100 g Feta cheese, crumbled
100 g butter or clotted cream
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
¾ of a cup water
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Break the bread into small pieces and toast it in a pan until crunchy.

Add water to the yogurt and season with salt- pepper and paprika. Whisk it well until you have a thick liquid.

Now, mix yogurt mixture with cream or butter and crumbled cheese. Next, in a large bowl with chopped herbs, cucumber, bread and chopped walnuts, add yogurt mixture and gently combine all ingredients together.

Allow to set in the fridge for 2 hours until firm, then give mini ball shapes and serve it. You can store this lovely bites fresh for few days in the fridge.

Potato and Rice Pilaf

Posted on May 2, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

This is a fantastic dish recipe for potato and Persian rice. It might be served as main course or as side dish. This meal can be vegetarian as well. For making this dish use a kind of potato that stand up to the cooking time.

Other thing is about main ingredient that is rice. Good quality rice is very important matter. In today dish I used Persian smoked rice (berenj-e doodi) that is long grain with high quality and just superb aroma.

So if you are interested you can follow my easy peasy potato rice recipe with yogurt.

Ingredients

2 cups Persian smoked rice
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp salt
2 tbps butter

Method

Wash the rice two times. Add rice in the rice cooker with enough water to cook, also add salt, potatoes and butter.

Serve the rice hot with yogurt. You can have plain yogurt or mixture of yogurt with chopped cucumber or r of yogurt with beetroot powder.

Doogh Persian Yogurt Drink (Ayran)

Posted on May 2, 2018 by rozinaspersiankitchen

Doogh is a traditional Persian drink. A kind of cold savoury yogurt based drink that is mixture of plain yogurt with water and salt. Doogh is called ‘ Ayran’ and yogurt is Gatig in Azerbaijani and Turkish languages. This beverage is very refreshing liquid. Doogh or Ayran is served icy cold with any dish In Iran includes rice, kebab, stews.

Doogh is popular in Iran, Indian, Afghnestan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Middle East . Doogh or Ayran was developed thousands years ago by nomads, a drink made out of milk.

Other additional to doogh that gives more flavour are adding dried aromatic herbs such as: mint, oregano, dried rose petals and salt. You can order doogh in all Persian restaurants in Iran and other countries.

You can find doogh at all supermarkets in Iran, packed in different sizes of bottles but why not to prepare it at home. Doogh has a very easy recipe and in 2 seconds you would have a healthy and fresh drink. All you need is plain yogurt, water ( soda water) and salt. If you like fizzy doogh just replace soda water instead of water.

Doogh is drinking more in the hot summer time with cooling effect on body and deliciousness.