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Soup

A Fresh Herb, Bean, and Noodle Soup – Aash-E Reshteh – Azadi

Azadi?  What does Azadi mean, mama?

It means Freedom in Farsi, Luna.

The day before Nowruz – Persian New Year. We are at the Persian Bazaar – aka Westwood Blvd. – doing some last-minute shopping.  The girls pick out the sonbol – hyacinth – a purple one, of course.  Happily they crunch on the ajeel – the nut mix the store owners keep offering them. They marvel at the mounds of fresh green herbs everyone is sorting through – cilantro, parsley, dill, tarragon, chives, green onion, fenugreek.  With every inhale their noses fill with the inescapable aroma of Spring – a new day – tulips, cherry blossoms, rose water, seville oranges, hyacinth, hyacinth, hyacinth.  They practice snapping their fingers and swaying their hips to the joyful and celebratory music pouring out of every store.  At the bookstore Luna discovers a bookmark with Azadi written on it.

What does Freedom mean?

Three grown adults are momentarily left speechless.  Once we gather our thoughts – Drew, my mom and I try to convey what Freedom means to a five year old.  She listens quietly – head leaning to one side – chestnut brown eyes resting their soulful gaze on the haphazard chaotic world rushing past her car window.  Nothing more is said – or asked.

Aash (rhymes with wash) is a hearty, thick soup typically made with a variety of herbs, legumes and grains. There are many different varieties of aash.  Each bursting with flavor and satisfying enough to be served on its own as a meal or in a smaller portion to begin each meal. Most aash can also be prepared vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free.

Aash can be considered the foundation of Persian cooking.  The heart and soul of it.  In fact, the Persian word for kitchen is aash paz khaneh – the house (or room) where aash is made and the word for cook is aash paz – the maker of aash.  Different kinds of aash are traditionally eaten to celebrate or commemorate special occasions.

Aash-e Reshteh literally means aash with noodles.  Traditionally Aashe-e Reshteh also known as Aashe-e Chaharharshanbeh Suri is served on the last Tuesday night before Nowruz – shabeh Chaharshanbeh Suri.  The noodles in the aash are said to symbolize the many winding paths that life spreads before us.  It is fitting then, to enjoy this heart warming aash right before the New Year, perhaps in the hopes of embarking on the right path for the coming year.  This also reminds me of the Italian tradition of eating Lentil Soup for good luck in the New Year.

The preparation of Aash-e Reshteh is quite simple.  As with most Persian dishes that use an abundance of herbs, the most time consuming part is the washing and chopping of the fresh herbs.  A food processor can be of great help here.  And just like the preparation of Koo Koo Sabzi you don’t need to get too caught up with taking every parsley leaf off the stem.  I cut off the long stems (you can save the stems for stock) and then run my knife through the herbs (little stems and all) a couple of times and throw everything in the food processor.  I like to use dry beans which I first soak for a few hours or overnight.  But you can also use canned beans if that’s what you have on hand.  The combination I used here is chickpeas, red pearl beans (you can also use the slightly larger red kidney beans) and lentils.  Persian noodles -reshteh – can be found at Persian grocery stores or online, but linguini noodles work just as well.  And just like Kashki Bademjan, what really elevates this aash are the garnishes:  kashk and carmelized onion, mint and garlic.  If you can’t find any kashk (or are still unsure of starting a relationship with this handsome new stranger), a sour European-style yogurt, or strained Greek-style yogurt or creme fraiche will work just fine too.  But I really think you should give kashk a chance.

Be it a special occasion, a cold winter’s night, a new journey, or simply one of those days when you just need a big hug, and a big bowl of comforting goodness in a bowl – Aash-e Reshteh is sure to hit the spot.

The girls enthusiastically help me set up the Haft Seen table.  The hip-shimmying Persian music winds its way through the house.  Soleil and I debate the placement of the sonbol in relation to the goldfish – the goldfish like to be close to the sonbol so they can smell the sweetness too – two year old logic.  Luna runs up – out of breath – waving her Azadi bookmark.  She insists that we add it to the Haft Seen table.

It’s important Mama.

This year on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at precisely 9:57am PST – precisely the moment when the Earth’s axis tilts neither away nor toward the sun – when night and day are exactly the same length all around the world – we will welcome in a New Day – Nowruz.  And for the third year in a row Luna’s Azadi bookmark will have a place at our Haft Seen table.

Because it’s important.

Wishing you all a very Happy Nowruz and Peace and Freedom for everyone around the globe.

FRESH HERB, BEAN AND NOODLE SOUP – AASHE-E RESHTEH

Serves 6-8 as a starter or 4-6 as a main dish

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried chickpeas, soaked  overnight
1/3 cup red pearl beans or red kidney beans, soaked overnight
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup caramelized onion, mint and garlic, plus more for garnish (recipe here)
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
1 large bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onion, finely chopped
1 bunch spinach, chopped
8oz linguini noodles or reshteh snapped off into 2 inch pieces
1-2 tablespoons kashk or Greek style yogurt or creme fraiche, plus more for garnish
fine grain sea salt
ground black pepper

1- Place chickpeas and 10 cups water in a large pot over medium/high heat and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to medium and simmer partially covered until chickpeas are slightly tender but not fully cooked through.  The amount of time depends on how fresh your beans are and if they were soaked or not.  Anywhere between 20-30 minutes.

2- Add the red beans.  Partially cover again and simmer over medium heat until the red beans are slightly tender.  About 10-20 minutes depending on your beans.

3- Add the lentils, cilantro, parsley, green onion, spinach, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and caramlized onion mixture.  Partially cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender but not mushy. (The aash can be made in advance until this point).

4- Add the noodles and more water if necessary, and simmer uncovered until the noodles are fully cooked through and all the flavors have melded.  This soup should be on the thicker side so adjust the amount of water accordingly. Stir in  the kashk or yogurt or creme fraiche 1 tablespoon at a time according to taste.  Simmer for a couple of minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  (Taste for seasoning after you add the kashk).  Garnish with caramelized onion and dollops of kashk or yogurt or creme fraiche.

The aash tastes even better the next day.  You may need to add a little more water if reheating.

Will keep in the fridge up to 3 days and in the freezer up to 3 months.

by Naz
Chicken

A Green Beans and Chicken Rice with Lavash Tahdig – A Friday Night Loobia Poloa

Occasionally I’ll be caught standing in front of the fridge or the pantry – a blank look on my face – desperately staring down the goods – hoping that this time, all the produce, legumes and grains have magically developed telepathic powers to convey to me how to prepare them in a mouth watering, nutritious fashion for the whole family to enjoy.  It is a losing battle.  As my six year old Luna is quick to remind me.

Vegetables and beans and rice can’t talk Mama.  They can’t even think.  Even though vegetables are alive they’re not like us because they don’t have hearts.  Except for artichokes.  Artichokes have hearts.

So just as I am about to give up – throw my hands up in the air – walk away from it all –  declare that my cooking days are done – that one song, that one beat, that one sound, that one voice echoes through the speakers.  And in an instant, inspiration fills the house, my knife comfortably cozies up to my hand ready to begin our duet.  And before the song has ended I have the night’s meal figured out.

What I listen to while I cook is much more critical than what we listen to while we eat.  It can make all the difference between an inspired meal and a tedious job that just needs to get done. My musical tastes and the songs that inspire me in the kitchen vary from day to day.  But there is one sound that is a constant companion in our house.  On at all times – providing the soundtrack to our daily lives.  This.

NPR is the sound that links us to the outside world, challenging our minds, provoking debate, but more importantly comforting and grounding us in our daily routine.  The meal equivalent of this comforting staple in our house is Loobia Polo – green beans and rice.  Loobia Polo is my husband Drew’s most loved Persian meal.  In fact, it could very well be his all-time favorite dish for dinner.  It’s the one meal that even the pickiest of little eaters will dig in for seconds.  It also makes a great thermos lunch for school the next day.

Where NPR challenges us, gets us thinking, and fills us with sensational-free information – Loobia Polo comforts and soothes our souls.  Every morning we wake and without a second thought put the kettle on and turn on the radio.  And every Friday we celebrate having made it through another week with an exultant Friday Night Loobia Polo.

Green beans are bursting at the farmers market and in our farm box right now. The green bean mixture is quite easy and quick to prepare.  The beans delicately soak up the  aromatic and flavorful blend of the spices: saffron, turmeric, cinnamon – with the addition of tomato paste to create a sauce, and of course freshly squeezed lemon juice for that slightly tangy sour taste that dictates most Persian stews.  When the end of the recipe asks that you adjust the seasoning to taste, this not only applies to the addition of salt and pepper but also to extra lemon juice if necessary.  What you also want to keep in mind is to maintain the texture of the green beans.  No mushy, out of the can style, green bean mess please.  The green bean mixture is traditionally served mixed in with rice – I typically use brown basmati rice, but you can serve it along side white rice or any grain you prefer.  The mixture can also be prepared ahead of time.  Fridays happen to be one of our busiest days, so I like to split up the preparation process.  I might prep the beans and chicken (prepping is the most time-consuming part) the night before, so all I would have to do the day of is cook the mixture and put on a pot of rice. Or if I can find the time I will cook the mixture a few days in advance. The green bean mixture can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.  It can also be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.  And if there is one dish that begs to be accompanied by mast o khiar, it’s Loobia Polo.

The preparation of the bread tahdig is very similar to that of a rice tahdig.  I used bread here for variety and because the girls happened to ask for it.  Some days Luna prefers bread tahdig and Soleil prefers rice tahdig.  The challenge is to get them to agree to the same kind of tahdig on the same day. Typically we use lavash bread – which is like a thin Middle Eastern style flat bread.  On this particular day I used a whole wheat lavash from Trader Joe’s.  I simply tear fairly large pieces and place them on the bottom of the pot. Then I patch up any open spaces with smaller pieces.  Make sure the sides of your pot are well-greased to avoid the bread sticking to the sides of the pot.  Bread tahdig can burn very quickly so really keep a nose on this one and use a heat diffuser for the rice steaming part to ensure no burning of the bread.  I use an old toaster oven metal rack insert as my heat diffuser.

So thank you Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep, Renne Montagne, and David Greene for accompanying us through another school year of hurried and harried breakfasts and lunches.  Thank you Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon, Rachel Martin and puzzle master Will Shortz for your constant reminders that we are now parents, and that weekends and sleeping in are no longer synonymous.  And thank you to All Things Considered’s  Robert Siegel, Mellisa Block and Audie Cornish for being there with us through many weeknights of dinner prep – culminating with a satisfying Friday Night Loobia Polo.  And of course, my husband’s favorite: Lakshmi Singh.

Please do share – what do you like cook to?  Is there a particular tune that gets you going in the kitchen?

Green Beans And Chicken Rice With Lavash Tahdig – Loobia Polo

Notes: 

  • If you don’t want to make the tahdig you can simply make the mixture and serve it with any kind of rice or grain you like.  It is tastiest mixed in with your grain of choice.
  • The recipe below uses brown basmati rice.  If you would like to use white basmati rice keep in mind that white rice takes a shorter time to cook al dente at the par-boil stage.  8-10 minutes for white rice, 20-25 minutes for brown rice.
  • For a more detailed guide to cooking Persian rice please see this post.

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8

2 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound organic green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 4 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 6 tablespoons hot water*
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, roughly the juice of 2 lemons, plus more to taste
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons ghee or butter
lavash tahdig

*  I used bionaturae tomato paste.  I find it is slightly less concentrated in flavor than other tomato pastes. So I ended up using 4 tablespoons of paste.  You might want to start with 2 tablespoons and add and adjust amount to taste.

  1. Wash and soak brown basmati rice and 2 tablespoons salt for 1 hour.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion softens.
  3. Add green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Saute for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until green beans soften slightly.  Take care not to burn green beans.  Turn down heat if necessary.
  4. Add chicken, turmeric, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Saute for 3-5 minutes.
  5. Add saffron water, tomato paste water, and lemon juice.  Stir to combine.  Turn heat down to medium low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally until chicken has cooked through and green beans have softened, but not mushy.  Adjust seasoning and add more lemon juice if necessary.
  6. Meanwhile, bring 10 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil in a large non-stick pot.  Drain soaked rice and add rice to pot.  Bring back up to boil.  Scoop off any foam that rise to the top.  Start testing your rice at 20 minutes.  Once rice is al dente (takes 20-25 minutes) drain in a colander and quickly rinse under cold water.  Allow rice to completely drain off any excess water.
  7. Melt 3 tablespoons ghee or butter in the large non-stick pot over low heat.  Arrange the bread on the bottom of the pot.
  8. Place 2 spatulas full of rice on top of the bread.  Using the back of the spatula or the back of a wooden spoon pack down the rice firmly.  Add a layer of green bean mixture on top of the rice.  Repeat, alternating rice layer and green bean layer in the shape of a pyramid.  Your top layer should be a rice layer.  Using the handle of a wooden spoon poke a couple of holes in the rice to allow the steam to escape.  Cover and turn up heat to medium-high.  Cook for 10 minutes.
  9.  Turn the heat down to low.  Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel or a couple of layers of paper towel.  Place heat diffuser under the pot.  Cook for 50 minutes.
  10. Remove lid.  Scatter the green beans rice mixture on a serving platter and gently remove the tahdig and serve on the side.  Serve immediately.  Remember to serve with a side of mast o khiar!

Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

by Naz
Stew

A SPRING FAVA BEAN, DILL AND EGG STEW – BAGHALI GHATOGH

The salty air.  The very salty sea.  A warm seaside breeze.  Hair tangled and knotted in the wind – sticking to very salty lips. 

These are my memories of Shomal – North.

Memories can be very elusive, hard to pin down.  They tease us with a hazy snap shot of what once was – a time long since passed.  A familiar scent, taste, the caress of a warm breeze.  Sometimes that’s all it takes to get wrapped up in the all–consuming embrace of nostalgia.

The Northern region of Iran bordering the Caspian sea is referred to as Shomal.  It is made up of three seaside provinces: Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan.   

My father’s family hails from Gilan, a region well known for its rice paddies, lush green Alborz mountains, popular seaside destinations (for tourists and locals alike), its very distinct Gilaki dialect, and of course its cuisine.  Volumes could be written about the delicious food of Gilan –  khoresh fesenjan (pomegranate and walnut stew – a dish  particularly close to my heart), mirza ghasemi, kabab torsh, zeitoon parvardeh…and of course the abundance of fresh seafood and its much prized caviar.  But the one dish enjoyed most often is baghali ghatogh.

Baghala ghatogh (as it’s called in Gilaki) is traditionally made with a type of bean called pacha baghala – which literally translates to short–leg beans.  

I was inspired to try my hand at baghali ghatogh after spotting the abundance of fresh fava beans popping up at the farmers market.  Fava beans (fresh or frozen) or lima beans (fresh or frozen) are often used as a substitute for pacha baghala – which is not readily available outside of Iran.  After a call to my cousin for a little direction I learned that canned white kidney beans (cannellini beans) are also a good and quick substitute.  So you have a few choices for the bean – but I had my sights set on those favas.

Call it cooking serendipity, chance – what you will – it was also right around this time that Baba –  my dad – and step-mother Kumi decided to surprise us with a visit.  And after one glorious family outing to the farmers market I had Baba making his baghali ghatogh.  Fresh fava beans, fresh spring garlic, fresh dill, and eggs.  The makings of a perfect springtime meal.

This dish is very quick and easy to prepare.  Except for one thing – shelling and peeling the fresh fava beans.  I won’t sugarcoat this.  It takes some time – as in, it took 45 minutes to get through it.  And like you,  I really don’t have an extra 45 minutes to devote to shelling 4lbs of fava beans.  But I do it because fresh favas are here for a short period of time and they taste great – because of the ritual – the tradition – beacause I imagine my aunts, uncles and cousins having done the same.  And yes, also because I‘m inclined to get obsessive like that.  To make it a little less time–consuming you can split up the bean shelling and peeling process.  You can shell the beans the night before while you catch up on your favorite tv show.  Then store the shelled beans in a plastic bag in the fridge.  All you have to do the next day is peel the outer skin.  Try not to split the bean in half when you do this.  Once the outer skin has been peeled you have to cook the beans right away.  Or even better, enlist the help of others. (Please note fava beans can cause a rare but serious allergic reaction in some people and children.  Make sure you or your little ones are not allergic before handling or eating favas.)

The afternoon we got back from the farmers market with our 4lb bag of favas quickly turned from a we’ll just make a simple baghali ghatogh dinner to an epic food odyssey.  As it often does.  Seduced and inspired by the goods at the farmers market, we decided last minute to throw together a fresh herb koo koo (Kumi’s request), steam some artichokes (the girls’ absolute favorite), put some rice on and quickly saute some fish (the way Baba likes his baghali ghatogh served).  As for Drew he had no requests – he just loves and consumes it all, in high quantities.  

Baghali ghatogh is typically served over rice, with a side of smoked fish.  Or that caviar from Gilan – if you can get your hands on some… I also like it served over some crusty bread to soak up all the delicious juices with some salty feta cheese (to mimic the salty smoked fish) crumbled on top. 

Every corner of the house was alive with activity.  Baba shelling and peeling the favas at the coffee table – Soleil perched in front of him watching attentively.  Kumi prepping the herbs for the koo koo at the kitchen table – Luna working on homework and munching on watermelon.  Me at the kitchen island – command central – wondering exactly how we got ourselves into this madness.  Every pot in use, both oven and stove in play, the background music trying to keep up with our tempo, children’s questions, costume changes (impromptu fairy performance!) and other needs being met.  Absolute wonderful chaos.  And somehow, as is usually the case, it all came together.  All of us gathered around that kitchen table digging into some baghali ghatogh. 
 
 
I was about Soleil’s age the last time we were in Shomal.  And now, all I have to recall from my visits are those hazy snapshots – the salty air, the salty sea, the warm breeze. 

I wonder if many years from now the girls will all of a sudden get a flash, a snapshot of a bustling and loud kitchen filled with the aroma of fresh dill and parsley, homework with a side of watermelon, aged but still strong and gentle hands of a grandfather shelling fava beans… 

Fava Bean, Dill And Egg Stew – Baghali Ghatogh

Inspired by Baba and my cousin F.

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

1 pound fresh fava beans shelled and outer skin peeled*, OR 1 pound frozen favas or lima beans, thawed,  OR 1 14-16oz can white kidney beans (cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, or butter or ghee
2 fresh spring garlic, finely chopped (green parts too!), OR 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped,  OR 4 tablespons dried dill  
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water (optional)
4-6 eggs
olive oil for garnish (optional)
feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish (optional)

* I found roughly 4 pounds fresh favas in their shell yielded about 1 pound favas  shelled and peeled

1- In a dutch oven or pot or deep skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, give a quick stir.  Add beans and dill.  Gently stir to combine for 2 minutes. Until the dill begins to wilt and release its aroma.  Take care not to over stir.  You want the beans to maintain their shape and not break down.

2-  Add the turmeric, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Saute for 2 minutes. Add the saffron water (if using).

3-   Add enough water to cover the beans.  I used about 2 cups of water.  If the stew starts to dry out add more water.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and cook with the lid slightly ajar until the beans are fork tender.  About 15 minutes for fresh favas.  Take care not to overcook the beans.

4- Taste and adjust seasoning.  Right before serving crack the eggs one by one (one egg per person) into the stew.  Cook until the egg whites set, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle the tops of eggs with a little salt and pepper.  Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil.

Serve over rice with a side of your preferred smoked fish (you can skip the fish all together if you want) or serve over crusty bread topped off with crumbled feta cheese.

Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 
  



 

 

by Naz

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