Chicken Vindaloo

1 1/2 tsp cumin 

2 inch cinnamon stick

6 cloves

10 black peppercorns

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 green cardamom

20 dried red Kashmiri chilies, soaked in 1/4 c malt/goan/red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup hot water

10 garlic cloves

1 1/2 inch ginger

2 lbs bone-in chicken or 1 1/2 lb boneless

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1 tsp salt

oil

2 onions, finely sliced

1 tsp sugar

 

Grind all the spices (cumin through cardamom). I guess toast them first? Add the chilies, soaking liquid, garlic, and ginger, and puree. Marinate the chicken in this mix for an hour or overnight.

Saute onions until golden. Deglaze with a little water. Stir in the chicken, cook until done. 

 

Source: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-vindaloo/#h-recipe-card 

Khoresh-e-Fesenjan

2 large onions, diced

1 tbsp flour

600g walnuts, finely ground in food processor

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper

5 cups cold water

3 tbsp sugar

2 cups pomegranate molasses

seeds from 1 pomegranate, to serve

 

Fry onions in oil.

In another pan, toast flour until beige, add ground walnuts and cook through.

Once the onions are browned, season chicken with salt and pepper, increase the heat on the onion pan, and add the chicken to it and sear both sides.

Add water to the walnut pan, stir, cover, and simmer for 1 hour over low-medium heat.

Add sugar and pomegranate molasses to the walnuts, stir 1 minute, then add the chicken and onions to the walnut-pomegranate mixture, cover, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with pomegranate seeds.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Khoresh-e-Gheymeh

Dried lime, lamb, and split pea stew

 

3 tbsp olive oil

3 small or 2 large onions, roughly diced

1kg boneless lamb neck fillets, sliced into 1" pieces (or lamb stew meat

2 tsp turmeric

2 pinches saffron threads

1 tsp cinnamon

150g tomato paste

salt and pepper

8 Persian dried limes (aka black limes) or preserved lemons

1 cup/200g yellow split peas

 

Cook onions on medium until translucent. Increase to high, fry lamb about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, saffron, and cinnamon to coat the meat, then add tomato paste, salt, and pepper, cook 1 minute.

Prick limes with a fork, add them, add just enough cold water to cover the pan, then slow cook for 1.5 hours.

Add split peas, cook 1 hour more.

Serve with basmati rice.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Ash-e Anar

Pomegranate soup with meatballs

 

Olive oil

3 large onions, 2 roughly diced and 1 ground in a food processor

4 fat garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3/4 cup dried yellow split peas

2 liters water

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 bunch mint, roughly chopped

3 small bunches chives, roughly chopped

1 lb ground lamb or beef

3/4 cup basmati rice

400ml pomegranate juice (or reconstitute from 80-100ml pomegranate molasses + water)

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup sugar, or less 

Make meatballs: combine meat with ground onion, season with salt and pepper, roll into 1.5" meatballs, set aside.

Saute the roughly diced onions, add garlic. Add split peas, water, boil, simmer 30 min.

Add salt, pepper, turmeric, herbs, saute 20 min.

Add meatballs and rice, simmer 30 min.

Add pomegranate juice, molasses, and sugar, simmer 30 min.

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Salad Olivieh

750g waxy potatoes (fingerling, yukon gold)

1 roast chicken, meat finely shredded

300g brined pickles, finely diced

2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced

8 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

1 large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

150g fresh or frozen peas, boiled quickly and drained

4 tbsp mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

6 tbsp Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

Boil potatoes, don't overcook, ice water them to stop cooking. Chop into 1 inch chunks. Combine potatoes, chicken, pickles, scallions, egg, cilantro, peas, and lightly toss. Make the dressing with mayonnaise, lemon juice, yogurt, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix everything, refrigerate 1hr+ before serving.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Fistikli Kebap

150g pistachios (without shells)

2 eggs

500g ground lamb

1 onion, ground or finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2-3 tsp sumac

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp dried oregano

zest of 1 lime

2 tsp salt 

 

Grind 2/3 of the pistachios in a food processor. Lightly pulse the last 1/3. Add everything and mix with your hands. Like with Adana Kofte, it kinda doesn't hold together great. Make into patties and cook in a frying pan. (Broiling on a rack kinda works but they fall apart. Maybe I'll try broiling without a rack.) Serve with yogurt

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Adana Kofte

500g ground lamb

1 onion, ground in a food processor or finely chopped

3 tsp Aleppo pepper

3 garlic cloves, crushed

20g fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

2-3 eggs

2 tsp sea salt flakes (or less table salt)

pepper 

Mix everything, fry in a pan with oil or grill or put on a long kebab skewer. I think you can food process everything, but maybe not the meat, or it doesn't hold together very well. Still working on that. Serve on tortillas or bread with fresh sliced red onion, chopped parsley, yogurt.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Serbian beef stew

800g stew beef, in bite size pieces

oil

2 onions, finely chopped

5 red or yellow peppers, diced

5 large tomatoes, chopped

Some stock

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Parsley

Brown meat in oil, remove. Saute onions and peppers for 20 min. Add tomatoes, stock, meat, herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer 30 min or until meat is tender. Add parsley.

Source: Serbian Culinary Art by Jasmina Masala

Cevapi

Cevapi (sausages)

ground beef, pork and lamb - total 2 lb
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp paprika
chili, salt, and pepper to taste
bread crumbs - 1/4 cup or more?

Combine everything, knead together, refrigerate for 2 hours. Shape into sausages, grill or broil or cook in a pan. I'm not sure on these yet - they always end up a little dry, so I'm experimenting with bread crumbs, and maybe trying harder to avoid overcooking

Source: Serbian culinary art by Jasmina Masala

Zereshk palaw ba gusht

Rice and Lamb with Chickpeas and Barberries

 

¾ cup dried chickpeas, soaked
 

Lamb Braise
2 Tbsp. oil
1-pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 ½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp. ground saffron threads dissolved in 1 Tbsp. orange-blossom water (optional)
Zest of 2 oranges
1 ½ cups water
 

Rice
Water
2 Tbsp. salt
2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes, drained
½ cup oil or butter
 

Barberries, Raisins, and Almonds
Water
Oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 ½ cups dried barberries or cranberries, picked over, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drained, and rinsed thoroughly
1 cup raisins
¼ cup sliced almonds
 

Garnish
¼ cup sliced pistachios
¼ cup dried rose petals

1. For the lamb braise: Heat the oil in a medium-size cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, onion, and garlic and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and all the juices have been
absorbed. Add the chickpeas, salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, tomato paste, saffron-orange-blossom water, and orange zest and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1.5 cups water and give the pot a stir. Boil, simmer, cover, cook 1.5 hrs until tender.

2. Rice: In a large nonstick pot, bring 6 cups water and salt to a boil. Add the rice and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, until all the rice rises to the surface. Drain and rinse with 2 cups tap water. In the same pot,
pour ¼ cup oil (or butter) and ¼ cup water and return the rice to the pot. Pour another ¼ cup oil (or butter) and ¼ cup water over the rice. Wrap the lid with a dish towel and cover tightly. Cook for 45 minutes over medium-low heat.

OR

make rice and add 2 tbsp butter

 

3. For the barberries: Heat ¼ cup water and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat and sauté the barberries for 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. For the raisins: Heat ¼ cup water, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1 Tbsp. lime juice over medium heat, sautéing the raisins for 1 minute. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
5. For the almonds: Wipe out the skillet and heat 1 tsp. oil in it, sautéing the almonds for 1 minute, until lightly golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
 

6. To serve: On a large serving platter, gently place alternating layers of rice, lamb, and chickpea braise to form a pyramid. Garnish with barberries, raisins, almonds, pistachios, and rose petals

 

Source: "Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting" by Najmieh Batmanglij from LACMA

Halal cart chicken

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup light olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (6 to 8 thighs)

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
 

Combine lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Split in half. Marinate the chicken in half of it in a plastic bag for 1-4 hours (no more).

Heat oil on medium-high until smoking; add chicken and sear on each side, then cook through.

Cut the chicken into chunks and let it sit in the sauce until you're ready to serve it.

There's a sauce too:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
but it's kind of unnecessary.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/serious-eats-halal-cart-style-chicken-and-rice-white-sauce-recipe

Sarma

Sarma (stuffed cabbage)

 

60 oz jar of sour cabbage leaves (like sauerkraut but all big leaves, not chopped)

1 lb ground beef or fake beef

2 cups cooked rice

3 onions, chopped

1 14oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 head garlic, minced

1/2 package bacon or tempeh fake bacon, cut into small pieces

1/4 bunch parsley

salt, pepper

coriander

smoked paprika

Fry onions and bacon. Add garlic and beef, mix until browned. Add tomatoes, parsley, rice, salt, pepper, coriander. Roll this mixture in each cabbage leaf, put in a big baking pan. Heat a little paprika in oil and drizzle it across the top. Add about 2 cups of water to the pan. Bake at 425, covered with foil, for 45 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 10 more.

Source: Gordana Vlahovic

Meatballs

These are totally fine meatballs. Nothing fancy, but if you have some meat and want to make meatballs, they work.

 

1 lb ground meat (ideally beef, veal, and pork, but whatever; impossible/beyond meat works fine too)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cups bread crumbs from stale Italian bread
3/4 cups lukewarm water

 

Mix everything but the bread crumbs and water. Then add bread crumbs, then water a bit at a time until the whole mixture holds together. Form into meatballs, fry until browned or roast in the oven (not sure how long).

 

Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/40399/the-best-meatballs/

Kheema Mutter

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

3-5 chilies, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1 lb ground beef

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 cup frozen peas

2 tbsp cilantro leaves

Heat oil, sizzle cumin seeds 5-10 sec, add onion, 5-10 minutes. Add ginger, chilies, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaves, 5 minutes or until caramel-brown. Add ground beef, brown 8-10 min. Add coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, simmer medium low 10-12 min. Add 1 cup water, peas, and cilantro, simmer 5-8 minutes.

Source: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Chengdu Zajiang Mian

Pork topping for 4-6 servings (scale as you want):
1 lb ground pork
3 tbsp sambal oelek or 3 pickled medium-hot red chilies
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp tian mian jiang/sweet wheat sauce

Sauce per serving:
1 tsp melted lard (optional)
2 tbsp chili oil with flakes
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp chicken broth
1 tsp zhenjiang black vinegar
1 tsp runny Chinese sesame paste
1/4 tsp or more roasted ground Sichuan pepper
2 tsp thinly sliced green onions

4 oz dried noodles per serving
bok choy and/or fried egg (optional)

1. Make pork topping: Saute pork until beginning to brown and juices are mostly cooked off. Add pickled chilies and garlic, cook, mix with pork. Add water, soy sauces, wheat sauce, simmer about 15 min. Add more water if necessary - you want it to be kinda wet. (It'll probably be wet anyway.)

2. Mix the sauce.

3. Cook noodles, adding bok choy towards the end to cook it too.

4. Each bowl: noodles, sauce, pork topping, bok choy, egg.

Source: Taylor Holliday, The Mala Project, https://blog.themalamarket.com/chengdu-zajiang-noodles-zajiang-mian/

Gong bao ji ding

Kung pao chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or about 2/3 lb, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, sliced
about the same amount of ginger, also sliced
5 scallions, white parts only, chopped
peanut oil
at least 10 dried chilies, cut in half and seeds discarded
1 tsp whole Sichuan pepper
2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

Marinade:
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp potato flour or 2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water

Sauce:
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp potato flour or cornstarch
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
3 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chicken stock or water

Marinate the chicken. Make the sauce.
Heat oil in the wok. Add chilies and Sichuan pepper, stir fry until crisp, spicy, fragrant - careful not to burn.
Add chicken and fry on high, stirring constantly. As soon as it's separated, add the ginger, garlic, scallions, and for a few minutes.
Add the sauce, then the peanuts, then serve.

Source: Land of Plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop

Fu qi fei pian

"Man and wife lung slices"

1lb lean beef, like flank steak (or a mix with innards like ox heart, tongue, and stomach)

To cook the beef:
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled, slightly crushed
1 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp rock sugar, crushed
1 quart stock
1 1/2 tbsp salt
2 scallions, white and green, cut into thirds
1 tsp whole Sichuan pepper
1/2 a cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 star anise
4 cloves (you can make a little bag of all these spices)

To serve:
3-4 celery stalks
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1-2 tbsp chili oil with chile flake
1/2 tsp ground Sichuan pepper
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed
cilantro to garnish
Boil water, blanch beef for 10-20 seconds, throw away water and rinse beef.

Heat peanut oil with half the rock sugar, boil until it's a rich caramel brown. Throw in a little cup of cold water (look out for steam!) and stir to incorporate. Add the rest of the "to cook beef" ingredients. Boil, then add the beef, simmer gently for about an hour and a half until tender. Remove beef and cool. Save cooking liquid.

Slice the celery thin. Thinly slice the cold beef too, lay it on top of the celery. Combine 4 tbsp cooking liquid with the soy sauce, pour over meat. Drizzle with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, sesame seeds, peanuts, cilantro.

Source: Land of Plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop

Hui Guo Rou

Twice-cooked pork

1/2 lb boneless pork belly, with skin
6 baby leeks, or Chinese leaf garlic, trimmed, sliced diagonally
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp douban jiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)
1 tsp sweet fermented sauce
2 tsp fermented black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
a few slices of fresh red chili or bell pepper for color (Dan's note: you can put in a whole bunch of red bell pepper, it's good too)

Boil/simmer pork until just cooked through, about 20 min. Fridge for several hours to cool. Slice it thin (each slice having a little skin on it).

Saute pork slices until slightly curved and some fat has melted out. Add douban jiang, then sweet fermented sauce and black beans, then add soy sauce, sugar, and salt to taste. Add leeks and pepper and stir fry until just cooked and serve.

Source: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop

Yu xiang rou si

Fish-fragrant pork slivers

A small handful of dried cloud ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 min
10oz boneless pork loin (~2 chops) with a little fat, cut into 1/8 inch slivers
2/3 cup bamboo shoots or 2 celery stalks
salt
peanut oil
2 tbsp pickled chili paste
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 scallions, green parts, very thinly sliced

Marinade:
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp potato flour or 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine

Sauce:
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar
3/4 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp potato flour or 1 1/8 tsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp stock or water

Mix marinade, add pork.
Blanch bamboo shoots in boiling water for a minute, rinse in cold water, then cut in fine strips to match pork. Or cut celery into thin strips, salt, wait 15 minutes.
Mix the sauce.
Heat oil, stir-fry pork. As soon as the strips separate, push them to one side, and put the chili paste into the wok. Stir fry briefly, then add garlic and ginger. Stir fry 30 seconds, until aromatic, then add bamboo and mushrooms and stir fry briefly until just hot.
Add the sauce. Add the scallions, serve.

Source: Land of Plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop

Strange-flavor chicken

(aka Bang bang chicken)

6-8 scallions, white parts only
1 tbsp white sugar
salt to taste
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar
3 tbsp well-blended chinese sesame paste
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chili oil with chile flakes
1/2-1 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper
3 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Cut the chicken into slivers about 1/2 inch wide (or hit it with a rolling pin then tear into shreds by hand).
Cut scallions into sections, slice lengthwise, refresh in a bowl of cold water.
Stir sugar and salt in soy sauce and vinegar until dissolved. Gradually stir in the sesame paste to make a smooth sauce. Add other ingredients except sesame seeds, mix well.
Drain scallions, pile neatly in the center, lay chicken on top, pour over prepared sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Source: Land of Plenty by Fuschia Dunlop