This is how you simply and swiftly flip the Persian cake of savory golden goodness you’ve created in the rice cooker. The “Tahdig” is arguably the crowd favorite at any meal so every cook wants to proudly present their masterpiece. By cooking it in a rice cooker you get a tahdig cake of the golden crunchy goodness to be enjoyed by all.
Note- you must do the flip with confidence. Tahdig flipping is not for the light hearted!
Here, my cousin Payam demonstrates:
Rice is the ultimate comfort food. It has been farmed by people for over 10,000 years.
In the Hindi language “Bas” means “aroma” and “Mati” means “full of.” Growing up in a Persian family, that beautifully fragrant and earthy aroma is part of the essential scents of home. The cue of happiness and an eternal symbol of family dinners, celebrations and tradition.
Cooking traditional Persian rice (with crunchy tahdig of course) is truly an art form. For how to create a saffron scented masterpiece check out Persian Mama’s recipe here. For a simpler approach, I use a rice cooker. Not all rice cookers can deliver the crunchy golden goodness, however. Generally the Pars Brand rice cookers do the trick.
In this rendition, I highlight garden herbs using dill, mint, chive and rosemary for an aromatic rice dish guaranteed to feed the soul (nousheh jan...). But really you can use any herbs that you like.
On a recent trip to Philadelphia, we ate at one of the best restaurants on the scene in recent years: Zahav. Here Chef Michael Solomonov beautifully highlights modern Israeli cuisine. I was inspired by his vision, the story behind his culinary ventures and the flavors of the wonderful meal we had that October eve in the city of brotherly love. The menu excited my senses and my palate was dancing, curiously processing the familiar and the new. A colorful melody of flavors, humble, deeply flavorful food that was simply delicious.
What resonated the most were the familiar flavors of my childhood home found in smoky eggplant, coriander, warm bread, the grilled meats and tangy pomegranate. But most notably- in the herbed basmati rice. The Al’Haesh dishes (grilled over coals) are served with a side of basmati rice that was not only delicious, but momentarily took me home. This humble side dish became the center of what all the other plates harmoniously danced around. This beautiful little pot of rice had the power to transform me to another place and time. To the familiar places where we feel safe, comforted and loved. To where I remember being happy. To the quiet corners of memory, to our mother’s cooking and the taste of my grandmother’s love in an old kitchen in Isfahan. Maya Angelou says “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” I found myself at home in this beautiful experience, and I hope you do too by trying my basmati rice recipe.
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh chives, roughly chopped
Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
Handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
1-2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt)
Directions:
Soak rice in cold water for 20-30 minutes.
Rinse rice with water, gently agitating with fingertips. Do this multiple times (3-4) until water runs clear.
Place rice in rice cooker.
Add enough water to cover 1″ above rice (about 2.5 cups).
Add olive oil, onion, all herbs, salt + pepper.
Mix ingredients and turn on rice cooker. Continue to mix ingredients couple of more times in the first 3-4 minutes if cooking so all ingredients are evenly spread throughout.
Let rice cooker do its magic!
Cook rice for approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the indicator lets you know the cooking is completed. Timing can vary depending on the size and model.
That’s it! In about an hour you’ll have golden curst!
Once cooking is finished, unplug rice cooker.
Wearing oven mitts, place a platter larger than the rice cooker bowl over the bowl insert.
Lift bowl out and quickly and confidently flip the bowl and platter together.
Lift off the bowl slowly to reveal the Tahdig on top.
(Valiantly demonstrated by my cousin Payam, here).
Serve immediately: Tahdig loses crunch if it sits too long.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, see here for instructions on how to cook in a regular pot.
Musical Inspiration:
The Idan Raichel Project
http://idanraichelproject.com/en/
This recipe is simply delicious, healthy and fun to make!
The rosemary stems replace regular skewers for a beautiful presentation while adding another layer of flavor. Just add chicken and veggies to the skewers, bake and voila! A healthy meal awaits.
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
8 fresh Rosemary stems
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 medium red onion
Salt + Pepper
Directions:
Pull off 2/3 pull most of the Rosemary leaves from the stem.
Reserve 1-2 inches of leaves at the tip of each stem. These are your gorgeous skewers.
Cut chicken into 2 inch cubes
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, salt, peter to create marinate and pour over chicken.
Marinate for 1-2 hours or ideally overnight.
Skewer the chicken chunks onto rosemary skewers, alternating with grape tomato and red onion.
The rosemary stalk will easily pierce into the chicken and vegetables.
Place on greased baking sheet and bake in oven for approximately 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Ahhh Rosemary… One of my favorite herbs. “Rosemary” is derived from Latin words “ros” and “marinus”, which mean “dew of the sea” or “mist of the sea”. It refers to the coastal region that is occupied by this plant in it’s wild form. As the days get shorter and the warm temperatures dwindle in early fall, the Rosemary in the garden is still going strong and one of the last herbs to continue giving to my garden. My inner poet can’t help but consider it the most royal of the garden, growing and giving until the very end. Perhaps this is why Rosemary is a symbol of loyalty and love. In certain parts of the world, bride, groom and their guests wear branches of rosemary during wedding ceremonies. During the English Tudor era, Rosemary symbolized fidelity, and brides would give sprigs of Rosemary to bridegroom as a tradition.
The history of Rosemary is fascinating and for centuries it was used to enhance memory. Recent studies suggest rosemary may sharpen memory and brain function and suggest it’s use for Alzheimer’s patients. Shakespeare may have agreed. In “Hamlet,” Ophelia waxes poetic about rosemary as she descends into madness. “There’s Rosemary, that’s for Remembrance. Pray you, love, remember.” It’s also believed ancient Greeks wore rosemary in their hair to fortify their memory. The association between rosemary and memory has persisted throughout history. Personally, I love the the poetic history of the mist of the sea. Sir Thomas More wrote: “I lett it runne all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and therefore to friendship.”
For the last harvest of our historical herb, I wanted to celebrate this beautiful woodsy herb with the bittersweet nutty flavor and create a menu that highlights it’s fabulous fragrance!
Coming soon:
Green Garden Herb basmati rice with mint, chive + Rosemary
Orange blossom Rosemary Gin Cocktail
Chopped kale salad with tomato, avocado, onion and lemon
Rosemary infused olive oil
I created this delicious sandwich for a celebration gathering for my sister’s birthday inspired by her favorite flavors and it was a hit! It’s colorful, flavorful and the presentation had a “wow” factor for guests… or maybe it was just the melty gooye cheese oozing out the sides of the sumptuous panino that had everyone excited… ?
The natural ingredients layer together nicely and create a depth of flavor that is nearly orgasmic (direct quote from of the guests!). It’s really easy to make too:
Ingredients:
I medium size loaf ciabatta bread (available at Whole Foods and other bakeries).
This time I chose a sun-dried tomato one which added another rich layer the flavor profile.
3 table spoons chopped rosemary
6 zucchini (may seem like a lot but they shrink when roasted).
4 sweet red peppers
Pesto (store bought, I like the options at Whole Foods or Fairway but choose your favorite).
Fresh mozzarella cheese.
3 cups arugula.
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (of Modena of course)
Directions:
Slice zucchini and red peppers and spread out on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Chop rosemary and sprinkle on the veggies with salt and pepper.
Roast in the over for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove set aside.
Start assembling sandwich.
Cut ciabatta bread in half, separating top and bottom.
Layer remaining ingredients in the following order: Pesto, fresh mozzarella, zucchini, sweet red pepper, more mozzarella, arugula.
Cover with top piece of bread and press down.
Back in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes to melt cheese and toast bread.
Slice as desired and enjoy!
I cut into small pieces for a party, but it can be served as a whole sandwich for your own personal enjoyment.
A couple of hard boiled eggs often end up being an express lunch or breakfast on a busy day. A dollop of Sriracha and I’m good to go! Today however, I decided to elevate my express lunch and added new flavors to a long time favorite. After all, I just had an awesome workout in Central Park and was starving!
This recipe is also a good choice for: picnic sandwiches, afternoon tea sandwiches and works well served on mini cocktail bread for a quick appetizer when hosting!
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise (just a dab of indulgence)
2 scallions
2 sprigs tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice (adjust to preference of acidity)
salt and pepper to taste
Bread (I use 100% whole wheat pita but any bread you enjoy will do).
Directions:
Boil 3 eggs and let cool.
*I like to bring the water to boil, add eggs, cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and the yokes are slightly softer and in my opinion, more enjoyable.
Peel eggs and mix with remaining ingredients.
Serve on favorite bread and enjoy!
Many of the dishes and cocktails of the summer are inspired by what’s in bloom in my herb garden. Once upon a time my Father built a beautiful bed with nutrient rich soil to plant herbs + veggies in. I’ve continued that tradition and every spring I plant the staples; parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… and mint and cilantro and chives and sweet basil. These aromatic but humble herbs elevate pretty much every breakfast, lunch and dinner compilation.
They’re easy to grow. I buy the spriglings in Home Depot and just add water and sunlight. There is something very satisfying in always having these items available to enhance the flavors of any meal. If you don’t have a garden, you can use planters and any window with sunlight will do!
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to the one who lives there,
For once she was a true love of mine
Travel has always been a source of inspiration. Experiencing new countries and getting to know them through their food- tiles my memory with a mosaic of color, flavor and nostalgia. During the past year of self discovery, Istanbul provided that for me on a level only second to a journey back to Iran 20 years after my family immigrated from my place of birth. Turkish culture has many parallels to Persian culture and that might explain why one sees many Iranians walking the streets of Istanbul. I heard more Farsi spoken there than I have in Great Neck!
Us Iranians, we are nostalgic people. Nostalgia is a common human sensation, but Persian culture is deeply impacted by the elusive dream of the past. Always distorted, always seen as better times and always yearned for. It protects us from the truth of the present moment and the pain of reality. This distortion is seen as something beautiful, somewhere that will always be better than where we are today. Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris” portrays this sentiment well. Regardless of the decade, there is a constant notion that the “golden age” existed in a past era and the story line follows various characters in the constant quest for better times. However, like the unpredictable future, the past is an idealized version of what we want it to be, not necessarily reality. Memory is fiction. An though at times I struggle with this truth, I still allow myself to relish in the people and places that take me to my idealized history, regardless of its distance from what may have actually happened.
Istanbul was that kind of journey. It was a last minute trip which ended up being one of the most profound travels of my life. To my surprise the food was not great. Aside from the endless spice bazaars from which I bought a zillion colorful powders, the food was bland. The meals were disappointing everywhere, from street-food to high-end restaurants. The kebabs were fatty, the lemons had a strange aftertaste and the Manti was mushy. Besides delicious baklava and coffees, we did not have many memorable meals.
However, despite this unexpected letdown, I was happy to be there. I felt a strong connection to this city, to its people, and to its history. All the sites we visited were beautiful and somewhat ethereal with their echos of the past. I became obsessed with the tile work such as the ones in the Blue Mosque and fell utterly in love with Iznik Turkish Tile. I bought dishes and scarves and coasters with these stunning patterns and even invested in tiles hand painted by a renowned Iznik artist – dedicated to continuing this ancient art form – passed down generation to generation.
This was a magical journey amongst history, minarets, domes, culture and faith. Color and beauty collided in the smoky city where East met West, where inspiration bloomed, where ancient empires once stood and where today, the old and new mingle in beautiful harmony. At the end, a trip to this land ended up being a journey to myself. To understanding myself and to appreciating all aspects of my human experience. From the allure of the past, to the tangible miracle of the present, and the promise of a bright future. The unique combination of them all, ultimately make the Mosaic of Me. The Mosaic of Nazanin. For so long I had struggled with my own East meets West identify conflict- what was I supposed to be? Which was I supposed to be? For the first time, I recognized the beauty of the sum of the parts and the harmony that exists in contrasts. Perhaps this is why the tiles mesmerized me so.
As Azadeh Moaveni says poignantly and beautifully in her memoir “Lipstick Jihad”-
“All our lives were formed against the backdrop of this history, fated to be home nowhere- not completely in America not completely in Iran. For us home was not determined by latitudes and longitudes. It was spacial. This was the modern Iranian experience that bound the diaspora to Iran….. But the bridge between Iran and the past, Iran and the future, between exile and homeland, existed at these tables- in kitchens, in bars, in Tehran or Manhattan- where we forgot about the world outside. [Our culture] had been disfigured, and we carried its scraps in our pockets, and when we assembled, we laid them out, and we were home.”
(My baklava recipe inspired by this trip, here)
Simin Bari- A popular Persian tune sung by a Turkish artist, heard all over cafes in Istanbul
Fresh herbs from my garden often inspire tasty dishes that also look beautiful and this light and lovely cocktail is no exception. It’s light and you can adjust the alcohol to your preference. It also makes a nice non-alcoholic beverage.
Ingredients:
Gin
St. Germain Elderflower Liqour
Unsweetened iced tea
Lemon juice
Thyme
Mint
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker add:
1 part gin to 1 part elderflower liqour
3 parts iced tea
1 part gin
A spring of thyme (slap the time in your palm to release the natural oils).
6-8 mint leaves
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Shake well with ice and pour in glass
Garnish with more fresh thyme.
Enjoy!
Falafel! The ultimate Middle Eastern comfort food, the name of which probably comes from the word pilpel (pepper, felfel in Farsi- referring to the shape of a pepper corn) was made in two ways: In Egypt today, from crushed, soaked fava beans and combined with chickpeas or, as Yemenite Jews and the Arabs of Jerusalem did, from chickpeas alone. My version uses chickpeas and herbs and it’s simple and finger lickin’ good!
Note: Add a drizzle of Harisa (a hot sauce paste used in North African cuisine, made from chili peppers, paprika, and olive oil) for an extra kick!
For the Falafel-
Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Pita bread
Directions:
Soak chickpeas overnight in a bowl (covered in 2 inches of cold water) OR use canned chickpeas, washed + drained.
Place chickpeas and onions in the bowl of food processor.
Add the parsley, cilantro, hot pepper flakes, garlic, crushed coriander seeds, cumin.
Process until blended but not pureed.
Sprinkle in baking powder, flour, and pulse.
Add enough flour so you can form a small ball with the dough and it doesn’t sticks to your hands.
Form chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 375ºF in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test.
If it falls apart, add a little flour.
Once you have the right consistency, fry about 5 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Let cool on paper towels to capture extra oil.
Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, shirazi salad and drizzle with tahini sauce .
Enjoy the ultimate comfort food!
For the Tahini Sauce-
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup well-stirred tahini (sesame paste)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (or better yet both!)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt + pepper to taste
Directions:
Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with sea salt.
Mix garlic paste and remaining ingredients.
Add water or lemon juice to taste and to adjust for desired consistency.
Shirazi Salad
Ingredients:
3 medium Persian cucumbers
1/2 raw red onion
1 large tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
Drizzle with olive oil to preferred taste
Salt + Pepper
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and serve.
