Iranian Vegetarian(Sabzi-Jaati) Recipes
Borani Esfenaaj
4 Servings
1 kg fresh spinach
250 grams yogurt
2 onions (thinly sliced)
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Fry onions and garlic in oil until slightly golden.
Add spinach and fry together over medium heat until cooked.
Let it cool down completely in the refrigerator.
Add salt and pepper to yogurt to taste and beat the yogurt until.
Add spinach to yogurt and mix well. The mix should be thick and homogeneous.
Now this tasteful side-dish is ready to serve.
Kashk-e Baademjan
4 Servings
6 small eggplants
one glass kashk, (kashk is thick whey, and should be purchased in Iran or at an Iranian store)
one spoon tomato paste
2 medium onions
2 spoons dried mint (or 200 grams of fresh mint)
cooking oil
salt & black pepper
Directions:
Peel eggplants and slice length-wise to a thickness of 1 cm. Add salt and pepper and fry on both sides on medium heat until golden. Add half a cup of hot water to one spoon of tomato paste and mix well. Add to eggplants and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
Peel onions and slice thinly. Fry in oil until golden. Also fry dried mint in oil for a few minutes. Alternatively, fresh mint can be used. If so, wash and finely chop mint, then fry in oil. Pour kashk evenly over eggplants, follow with onions and mint, then serve.
Kookoo-e Baademjan
4 Servings
2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds)
1 cup olive oil or butter
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 4 eggs
4 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Peel and in a skillet, brown eggplants on both sides in 1/2 cup oil. Remove from skillet, cool, and mash with a fork. (You may also broil eggplants in the oven. Broil for 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown, brushing oil on both sides.)
In the same skillet, lightly brown onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons oil and add to mashed eggplant. Preheat oven to 200°C.
Break eggs into a bowl. Add parsley, saffron water, limejuice, baking powder, flour, salt, and pepper. Beat thoroughly with a fork. Add the eggplant mixture to beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly and mash. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Pour 1/4 cup of the oil into an 20cm ovenproof baking dish and place it in the oven. Heat the oil; pour in the egg mixture and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove the dish and gently pour the remaining oil over the egg mixture. Put the dish back in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer, until golden brown.
Serve KooKoo in the baking dish or unmold it by loosening the edge with knife and inverting it onto a serving platter.
Note: Kookoo can also be cooked on top of the stove. Heat 1/2 cup of oil or butter in a skillet, pour in the egg mixture, then cook, covered, over low heat until it has set, about 30-35 minutes. Cook the second side by cutting into wedges and turning them over one by one; add the rest of the oil, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until golden brown.
Kookoo-e Gol-e Kalam
4 Servings
one small cauliflower
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Cut cauliflower into small pieces and wash. Add hot water and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then drain water. Soften cauliflower slightly using a fork.
Add black pepper and salt to eggs, and beat. Dissolve saffron in a bit of hot water and add to eggs. Also dissolve baking soda in a bit of cold water and add to eggs.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under.
Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.
Kookoo-e Sabzi
4 Servings
1 kg herbs (coriander, lettuce, parsley, dill & spring onion ends)
4 large eggs
one spoon crushed walnut (optional)
one tablespoon baking soda
one tablespoon wheat flour
4 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Wash herbs and rinse thoroughly. Chop finely and fry in 2 tablespoon oil for about 5 minutes.
Let cool completely.
Beat eggs well, then add salt, black pepper, flour, baking soda and walnuts. Add fried herbs and mix well.
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the lid on. Reduce heat and fry for about 10 minutes, until kookoo is cooked under. Cut radially into 4 equal pieces, turn over, and fry for another 10 minutes.
You can serve it warm or cold.
Mirza Qasemi
4 Servings
6 small eggplants
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 eggs
2 medium tomatos
4 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Bake the eggplants in oven until cooked. This occurs when the eggplants swell and the skin bursts. Take eggplants out of oven and let them cool down slightly. Peel them and cut the hard tops off. Cut into small pieces.
Bring water to boil in a small pot. Cook tomatos in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain the pot and let cool slightly. Peel them and cut into small pieces.
Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden. Add eggplants and fry further for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatos, salt and pepper and fry until the excess water is gone.
Beat eggs well with a fork and add to eggplants, mix and fry further for 5 minutes. Can be served with white rice or Iranian bread. This is a delicious dish from a region called Ghilan by the Caspian sea in northern Iran.
Naaz Khatoon
4 Servings
6 small eggplants
4 medium tomatoes
2 cups pomegranate juice (or 2 teaspoons of pomegranate paste)
1/2 cup sour grape juice
2 medium onions
one teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
salt & black pepper
Directions:
Wash eggplants and tomatoes. Cook whole eggplants in the oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool, then peel and chop finely. Pour hot water over the tomatoes, then peel and chop finely. Peel onions and grate them.
Add pomegranate juice, sour grape juice, salt and black pepper to eggplants. (If pomegranate juice is not available, use pomegranate paste mixed with 2 cups of hot water). Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add marjoram, dried mint and grated onions, mix well and remove from heat. Add tomatoes, mix, and serve.
Nargesi Esfenaaj
4 Servings
1 kg fresh spinach
3 eggs
2-3 thinly sliced onions
cooking oil
salt & black pepper
Directions:
Wash spinach and cut into small pieces. Slightly cook with half a cup of water and a bit of salt over medium heat for a few minutes. Drain water (using the back of a spoon to squeeze extra water from spinach).
Fry onions in oil in a non-stick pan until golden. Add spinach and fry for a few more minutes. Flatten the surface using the back of a spoon and break the eggs on top, taking care not to break the yoke. Add salt and pepper and cover the pan until eggs are cooked but the yoke should remain soft.