Persian Lamb With Rice And Lima Beans Recipes

FLAVORFUL PERSIAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over lamb shanks and cover with salt.
• Mix turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over lamb shanks. Let lamb shanks marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot. Cook and stir onion until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Whisk hot water, lime juice, rose water, and saffron together in a small bowl. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook lamb shanks in batches until browned, 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb shanks to a plate.
• Whisk wine into the pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Add onion and garlic mixture, steeped saffron mixture, parsley, thyme, lime zest, and bay leaves. Return lamb shanks to the pot. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until lamb shanks are tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Uncover pot and simmer until broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to an oven-safe dish.
• Place lamb shanks in the preheated oven to keep warm.
• Bring broth to a boil; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon broth over lamb shanks.

BAGHALA POLO -- IRANIAN RICE WITH LAMB, DILL AND LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• In a heavy 3-4 quart casserole, with a tightly fitting lid, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over a medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes or until the slices are browned.
• You will need to stir them often.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and onto a plate.
• Set aside.
• Working in batches, brown the lamb cubes in the remaining fat in the dish.
• As they brown, take them out of the dish and put them on the plate with the onions.
• Pour the 3 cups of water into the casserole and bring it to a boil, scraping to loosen any brown particles clinging to the dish.
• Return the lamb and onion to the dish, add the salt and reduce the heat to low.
• Cover tightly and simmer for about an hour or untilt he lamb is tender and doesn't show any resistance when pierced.
• Transfer the onions, lamb and all the cooking liquid to a large bowl.
• Set the casserole aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 5-6 quart saucepan.
• Pour in the rice in a slow, thin stream so the water does not stop boiling.
• Stir a couple times and boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the dill and lima beans and drain in a fine sieve.
• Ladle about half of the rice mixture into the smaller casserole and moisten it with 1/2 cup of the lamb cooking liquid.
• Then use a spatula or spoon to spread the rice mixture to the edges of the pan.
• Use a slotted spoon to return the lamb and onions to the casserole and smooth them over the rice.
• Spread the remaining rice mixture on top.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of the melted butter with 6 tablespoons of the lamb broth and pour it over the rice.
• Bring the casserole to a boil over high heat.
• Cover tightly and bake on a middle oven shelf for 30-40 minutes or until the beans are tender and rice has absorbed the liquid.
• To serve, spoon about a cup of the rice mixture into a small bowl.
• Add the dissolved saffron and stir until the rice is bright yellow.
• Spread about half the remaining rice on a heated platter and arrange the lamb over it.
• Cover the lamb with the rest of the plain rice and garnish with the saffron rice.
• Pour the remaining 6 tablespoons butter over the top.

BAGHALI POLO - PERSIAN RICE WITH LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, saute the onion and lima beans over medium heat for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine saffron water and yogurt. Add 1/2 cup of your basmati rice to this bowl and mix.
• In a large pot, add enough water to thinly cover the bottom. Add 3 tablespoons canola oil and give it a swirl so the water and oil mix.
• Layer the bottom of the pot with the rice and yogurt mixture.
• Add a handful of chopped dill to the pot then cover with a small layer of rice.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh over the rice.
• Add a generous layer of lima beans.
• Add a generous layer of chopped dill.
• Gently mix the rice, fava beans, and dill.
• Continue layering until you are out of both rice and the vegetables. You should finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh on top.
• With the end of a spatula, make holes around the perimeter of the pot, making sure you don't pass the yogurt-rice layer.
• Cover and on high for 10 minutes.
• Place a towel on top of the pot and cover tightly. Cook on medium-low for 1 hour.
• Halfway through the cooking process, drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil over the rice. If you'd like, you can also add a pinch of saffron to the butter or oil too.

PERSIAN LAMB WITH RICE AND LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• Add the oil to a nonstick saucepan, and saute the onion and lamb, until the onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the water, rice, turmeric and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the rice is almost done, about 14 minutes.
• Stir in the beans, and continue cooking until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
• Stir in the dill, coriander and yogurt. Season with salt, if desired, and serve.

LAMB SHANKS WITH RICE AND FAVA BEANS

Steps:

• Cook the meat: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, turmeric, and flour. Lightly dredge lamb shanks in salt mixture, shaking off excess. Add to Dutch oven and cook lamb on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to Dutch oven; add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. Place saffron and sugar cube in a mortar and add rose water; using a pestle, grind until dissolved. Transfer saffron-rose water mixture to Dutch oven along with honey, orange zest, lime juice, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and advieh; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Return lamb shanks to Dutch oven; add 1 cup water and cover. Transfer to oven and bake for 2 hours. Turn lamb shanks and re-cover; continue baking until lamb is tender and falling off the bone, about 1 hour more. Remove from oven and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Make the rice: Place rice in a large bowl and add enough warm water to cover; drain and repeat process 4 more times. Set rice aside. If using fresh fava beans, shell and remove outer layer of skin; if using frozen, soak in warm water and remove second skin. Set aside.
• Bring 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large nonstick saucepan. Add rinsed rice, cardamom pods, and 2 tablespoons rose water; let boil, gently stirring to loosen grains of rice that have adhered to the bottom, until rice is soft and has risen to the surface, about 8 minutes. Drain in a large fine mesh sieve and rinse with 2 cups water; reserve saucepan.
• Place saffron in a mortar and add rose water; using a pestle, grind until dissolved. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup oil and milk, 1 teaspoon saffron-rose water mixture, and 2 1/2 cups drained rice. Spread mixture over the bottom of saucepan, pressing with a spatula to make even. Add fava beans, dill, and chopped green garlic to remaining rice in colander; toss to combine. Using a spatula, gently transfer to saucepan, forming a mound. Sprinkle with remaining saffron-rosewater mixture; cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup warm water; pour over rice mixture in saucepan. Top with knotted green garlic and season with salt. Wrap the lid of the saucepan with a clean kitchen towel and cover saucepan firmly to prevent steam from escaping. Decrease heat to low and cook for 70 minutes. Remove from heat and place saucepan on rimmed baking sheet lined with a damp kitchen towel; let cool for 10 minutes. Do not uncover.
• Uncover and remove knotted garlic; set aside. Using a wooden spatula, loosen the crust from the bottom of the saucepan. Place a large platter over the top of the saucepan; invert saucepan to remove rice. Garnish rice with knotted garlic and serve with lamb, yogurt and bitter orange.

PERSIAN RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL (BAQALA POLOW)

Steps:

• Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain, using a fine-mesh colander, and set aside.
• If using fresh fava beans in the pod, shell and remove second skins. If using frozen favas with second skins removed, place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup (60ml) oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cinnamon stick, leek, and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leek is wilted. Add the rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and rose water, and stir-fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the water, tip in the skinned fava beans and bring back to a boil, stirring gently twice with a wooden spoon, to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover firmly with a lid to prevent any steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the dill and fluff using 2 forks. Drizzle the remaining oil and the saffron-infused rose water over the rice. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, still covered, for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fried eggs and Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip or alongside roasted lamb or fish.