Iranian Food

Kabab E-Barg

Prepare marinade: mix olive oil, onions, garlic, saffron, salt and black pepper. Cut lamb into 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm long pieces. Do not remove all the fat as you will need it to melt. Marinate overnight (preferrably 24 hours) in refrigerator. Container should be covered.
Thread lamb on long, thin metal skewers. Thread whole tomatoes separately on another skewer. Brush with marinade. Barbeque for about 5-10 minutes on each side, turning frequently. Kabab Barg can also be made in the oven. Prepare as before, pre-heat the grill to a high temperature, and place just under the grill, again turning frequently. Serve hot with basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread. If served with rice, some sumac may be sprinkled on.

Dolmeh Yeh Gohej Faranji

Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup of water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.
Fry prepared vegetables in cooking oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly
Cut a small circle at the tops of the tomatoes. Remove the contents of each tomato with a small spoon taking care not to make the outer layer thin. Sprinkle some salt inside the tomatoes. Mix prepared meat, vegetables and rice well. Fill the tomatoes with the mix and close the tops.
Pour 2-3 spoons of cooking oil in a pot and place the tomatoes inside without stacking. Do not add any water. Cook in the oven at low temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Khoresht Baamieh

Peel and thinly slice onions, then fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cut meat into small pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of hot water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly for about 45 minutes, adding more hot water during cooking if needed.
Wash okras and cut their stems only but do not cut the bases. Add okras, salt, pepper and tomato paste and potatoes to the meat and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the okras so that they do not become slippery.
Add lime juice and adjust seasoning. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Khoresht Bamieh should be served with white rice.

Adas Polow

Soak rice in water for 3-4 hours, then cook in salted water for 10-15 minutes using a non-stick pot until it just softens. Drain water and empty the pot.
Bring 2-3 cups of water to boil. Wash lentil and add to water with a bit of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until tender.
Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add ground beef or lamb, salt and black pepper, and fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add one cup of hot water and cook until water has been mostly absorbed.
Wash raisins and dates. Pour 1/2 cup of water and some oil in the non-stick pot. Pour in half of the rice. Follow with meat, lentil, raisins, dates and raisins. Then add in remainder of rice. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Dissolve saffron in 1/3 cup of hot water and pour over the rice. Mix well before serving.