Kashk Recipes

ASH RESHTEH (PERSIAN GREENS, BEAN AND NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• The night before you plan to cook, place chickpeas and white beans in a medium bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and 2 cups water. Refrigerate overnight.
• The night before or just before cooking, prepare the herbs and greens: Wash spinach, cilantro and parsley, then use a salad spinner to dry very well. Run a knife through the spinach to cut leaves into large pieces. Trim the woody ends from cilantro, parsley and dill so that only leaves and tender stems remain. Roughly chop cilantro, parsley, dill, chives and mint leaves into pieces no larger than a quarter. If preparing ahead of time, wrap chopped greens and herbs in plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.
• To cook, set a large (at least 10-quart) Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat and add 4 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chopped onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is tender and golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Drain the beans and add to onion along with the lentils, turmeric and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the beans with oil and spices. Add the chopped spinach and herbs, along with stock or water, and stir to combine. Partly cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer the soup for 1 hour, stirring regularly to prevent the greens from sticking and burning. If the soup remains very thick even after the greens have wilted, add another 1 to 2 cups water, as needed to thin it.
• Place 1 1/2 cups kashk in a medium bowl. Add a ladle or two of hot soup and whisk to dissolve, then add the mixture to the pot. The kashk will change the color of the soup from bright to milky green. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then break the noodles in half and add to the pot. Stir gently to mix in the noodles and keep them from sticking together, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are soft and chewy and the beans are completely tender, about 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the garnishes: Set a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add sliced onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until golden brown and caramelized, 16 to 18 minutes. Spread cooked onion onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil; let cool. Wipe out pan and return to medium heat. Add remaining 1/3 cup oil and warm gently over low heat, then stir in dried mint and remove from heat. Set mint oil aside and allow to steep for at least 5 minutes.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup kashk in a small bowl and thin out with a few tablespoons of water until it's the texture of thin yogurt. Set aside.
• The soup should be as thick as a hearty chili. If it's any thicker, thin it with water, 1/2 cup at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed, accounting for the fact that both the noodles and the kashk are well salted.
• To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls. Drizzle with reserved kashk and mint oil, then top with a sprinkling of golden onions.

KASHK

Steps:

• Scoop the yogurt into a large pot and add 2 cups water. Whisk until the water is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Place the pot over medium heat and stir constantly until the yogurt comes to a boil, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the yogurt is pretty thick and has lightly splattering bubbles, about 1 1/2 hours. The yogurt will separate and most of the water should be evaporated. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the mixture is quite thick and lumpy and the color is light beige, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
• Pour the kashk into a nut-milk bag and squeeze out and discard as much liquid as possible; you want to end up with dry pulp. Place the kashk in a blender, add 1/2 cup water and blend on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add an additional 1 tablespoon water if needed to create a smooth consistency similar to mayonnaise. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and blend to incorporate. The kashk should taste somewhat salty and sour. Add more salt, if needed. Adjust the consistency if desired with a little bit of water.
• The kashk will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before using. You can also freeze the kashk for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then stir before using.

IRANIAN EGGPLANT DISH - KASHK-E-BADEMJAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Peel the eggplant, and cut a slit along the side. Salt it, and let it sit and drain for half an hour. Rinse salt off.
• Slice the two eggplants thin lengthwise into 5 or 6 pieces each.
• Baste in olive oil on both sides.
• Lay these in an oven proof dish. Cook until golden brown.
• Chop the onion and garlic cloves, and fry in a pan with olive oil.
• Remove eggplants from oven, add to onion/garlic mix. Puree mix in a food processor until chunky but smooth. Return to pan.
• Add sour cream, simmer for fifteen minutes. Place in serving dish.
• In a smaller pan, fry the mint in oil. Drizzle or spoon over the eggplant as garnish.