I have some Persian recipes in my repitoire I would be happy to share. I haven't made them in quite a while, but I remember they came out good and they impressed my Armenian friends.
Persian Rice (Tah Dig)
Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 cup long-grain basmati rice
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp crushed saffron threads
1½ Tbs unsalted butter
2 tsp canola oil
Instructions:
Place 4 cups of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the rice and boil it for 10 minutes. Drain the rice, rinse it with cold water, and drain it again.
Combine the yogurt, salt, and saffron in a medium bowl and stir the rice into the yogurt mixture.
Melt the butter in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the rice mixture to the pan, lightly packing the rice down. Wrap a clean, dry dish towel around the lid to the pan, tying it at the handle; place the lid on the pan and cook the rice, covered, over medium heat 20 minutes (do not stir or uncover). Reduce the temperature to medium-low and cook the rice for an additional 20 minutes or until rice is tender on top and a golden crust forms on the bottom.
Loosen the rice crust with a rubber spatula around the edges. Place a plate over the top of the pan, and invert the rice onto the plate, browned side up. Cut the rice into wedges and serve immediately.
Persian Chicken Stew (Khoresh-e fesenjān)
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs light tasting olive oil
2 Tbs Amoretti Premium Pomegranate Syrup
1 cup walnut halves
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp turmeric
⅛ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Spread coarsely chopped walnuts in a single layer in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove the walnuts from the heat and allow them to cool.
In a Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pat the chicken pieces dry, season them with salt and pepper, place them in the pan and cook them until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside and keep it warm.
Sauté the onions in the pan until they are translucent, add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the pomegranate molasses, 1 Tbs sugar, turmeric, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Cover the pan and continue to simmer gently over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and adjust the sugar and salt to taste. Serve over rice and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped walnuts.
Persian Vegetable Casserole (Kukune Sabzi)
Ingredients:
2 cups leeks, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 cup romaine or butter lettuce, finely chopped
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
1 cup scallions, finely chopped
1½ Tbs flour
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
8 eggs
2 Tbs butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Put all the vegetables and herbs in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the flour and walnuts and mix them into the vegetable mixture.
Whisk the eggs and stir them into the vegetable mixture.
Butter an oven safe casserole dish with 2 Tbs of butter and pour the vegetable mixture into the casserole dish. Bake the casserole in a 325F oven for 1 hour, or until the top is crisp and brown.
I used to have a Palestinian girl friend so I might have some middle eastern recipes, too. I will check my Recipes folder and see what I can come with.