Chelo Kebab

This is trhe national dish of Iran, or something like that. It's uncomplicated, easy, and tasty.

Chelo Kebab (based on this recipe)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:1 lb ground lamb

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 large onion, minced

salt to taste

Grill:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Divide mixture into fourths, and form into elongated forms, and place on spears.

Place on a grill and cook 4-6 minutes, or until done.

Serve with white rice and pita bread.

Red Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is typically known as a slovenly affair. This recipe is wonderful, however, with a light color and more pleasant flavor (if you can find red lentils, of course)

Red Lentil Soup (based on this recipe)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups red lentils

6 cups water

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp salt

Cooking:

In a small pot, add a little oil and fry garlic until golden. Add the lentils, water, thyme, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer one hour. Serve with toasted pita bread.

Syrian Chicken

Sure, saffron's not cheap, but it can be very worth it for that gorgeous color. If you want to prepare this for fewer dollars, then you could replace it with anatto...

Syrian Chicken with Saffron (based on this recipe)

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

4 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks

1/3 cup olive oil

2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup ginger, grated

5 cloves garlic

2 chillies, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 pinches saffron

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp thyme

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tbsp honey

4 oz currants

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

water or chicken stock

Substitutions:

currants - raisins

saffron - 1/2 tsp anatto

Preparation:

Combine salt, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and turmeric in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in it until well coated.

Cooking:

In a large, heavy pot, eat olive oil. add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Add onions, garlic, ginger, and chillies to the pot and cook for three minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, saffron, cumin seeds, and thyme and cook for two minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add lemon juice and zest, honey, and currants.

Add enough water or chicken stock to cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for ten minutes or until chicken is done and sauce is slightly reduced.

Stir in cilantro. Serve with rice.

Chapter 22 : Syria

There are many restaurants in the States called Egyptian and Greek. And most of these are actually just labels for a set of Levantine dishes that are commonly consumed here. Chick pea hummus and baba ganoush come to mind. It's not that these would never be eaten in Greece or Egypt, but they might not be representative.

Well, having done both Egyptian and Greek cuisines, now we turn to Levantine cuisine, in particular Syria.

Hummus -Syrian Style (based on this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry chick peas

5 garlic cloves, roasted and minced

1/2 cup tahini

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Substitutions:

dry chick peas - 1 can chick peas

Preparation:

Soak chick peas overnight in water. Drain thoroughly, rinse, and boil for 3 hours, covered (or pressure cook for 8 minutes).

In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients and blend until a creamy paste is formed.

Serve with toasted pine nuts, cumin, and pita bread.

Jeera Rice

This isn't quite as amazing as Bugha Chawar, but certainly a tasty use for rice.

Jeera Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain basmati

1 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 1/2 cups water

salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash rice well and soak for twenty minutes.

Cooking:

Heat ghee in a heavy vessel. Add cumin seeds and fry until lightly browned. Add bay leaf and fry for a few seconds. Add sugar and drained rice, and gently stir for a minute.

Add garam masala and salt. Mix. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15-20 minutes.

Serve with rajma.

Kashmir Ki Kali

If one dish showcases the unique aromas of mustard oil and asafoetida, this peculiar dish is it. The original recipe called for peeling the potatoes prior to deep frying them. while probably traditional, I'd hardly call it necessary.

Dama Oluv

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs small red potatoes or fingerlings

1 cup mustard oil (possibly more for deep frying)

3 cloves

1 tsp cumin

1 pinch asafoetida

2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp aniseed powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp mixed black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon powders

Cooking:

Clean the potatoes thoroughly, with a potato brush if you have it. Then boil them, skin on, until they are soft. Drain them, and prick them all over with a fork.

Deep Frying:

Heat the mustard oil in a small pot, and then deep fry the potatoes in the mustard oil until they become light, and most of the moisture has been forced out of them. Be patient! This step will take a while.

And More Cooking:

When finished, let the oil cool, and then pour 1 cup of oil into a large pot. Heat the oil, and then add cloves, cumin, and asafoetida. Stir it, and then add the chilli powder, turmeric, and 1 tbsp of water. Keep stirring until the oil begins to separate.

Add the yogurt, aniseed, and ginger powders, and stir until the yogurt is mixed in. Add the fried potatoes, stirring them until they are covered in the spice mixture, and then add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook for at least an hour, until the oil separates.

Add the garam masala, and the mixture of pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon powders. Mix gently, and serve!

The recipe takes both time and patience, but it is very unique and delicious!