Persian Style Lavash Recipes

PERSIAN-STYLE LAVASH

Steps:

• Dissolve dried yeast with the sugar in 1/2 cup of the warm water.
• Place flour and salt in a bowl and mix well.
• When the yeast is foamy, make a well in the flour and stir in the yeast.
• Mix with a large spoon.
• Gradually, add as much water as needed until the dough comes together and is a little sticky.
• Cover and set aside.
• Set in a warm place if you are making this in winter.
• Once the dough doubles (1hr is a good rule of the thumb), remove the cover and punch it a few times.
• Take it out on a clean, flour covered surface and and knead lightly for 2 minutes.
• Spread part of the olive oil on the bowl and use the rest to lighly coat the dough.
• Place the dough back into the bowl for 10 minutes, then punch down again.
• Take a small ball (size of an egg) of dough and place it on flour covered surface.
• Heat a flat skillet on the stove or alternatively heat a large fry pan.
• Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and roll with a rolling pin until it is about 2mm thick.
• Make sure not to over-roll or over-knead, as this will make the bread chewier.
• Place the rolled dough on a hot skillet or fry pan.
• Once fully puffed, turn it over.
• Place cooked lavash on cake racks to cool.
• Better if eaten immediately, also makes a nice thin pizza crust.

PERSIAN BEEF KEBABS

Steps:

• Trim any excess fat from the steaks, cut into 1-inch cubes, and place in a large nonreactive bowl.
• Place onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, and saffron or cumin, in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour mixture over meat, toss to coat, cover and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
• When ready to cook, heat grill to medium heat (350 degrees F) and oil well. Thread meat on skewers, leaving at least 1/2-inch space between each piece of meat. In a small bowl and the tomatoes, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat thoroughly. Place meat and tomatoes on grill. Cook meat, turning once, until charred and medium-rare, about 7 to 10 minutes. Cook tomatoes, turning rarely, until blistered and soft, about 10 minutes.
• Remove meat from skewers and have guests assemble their own sandwiches with meat, tomatoes, lavash, yogurt, and cilantro.

LAVASH

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt and sugar into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the water, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes together, adding additional water if the dough is dry. Knead the dough in the bowl 5 to 6 times. Turn the dough out onto the counter, divide into thirds, cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter the back of a half sheet pan using some of the remaining butter. Place the sheet pan, upside down on a surface that will prevent sliding. Working with one ball at a time, place the dough ball onto the back of the sheet pan and roll the dough out to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Gently stretch the edges of the dough so they fall slightly below the edge of the pan and hold the dough in place. Lightly brush the dough with butter, place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the lavash to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, on a cooled pan. Break each sheet into shapes and sizes as desired. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

LAVASH

Steps:

• To make the old dough, using your hands or a rubber spatula, squish together the flour, water, and yeast in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Scrape the paste into a small, lightly oiled container, cover, and let it sit out for 1½ to 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before using. When ready, the ball will have doubled in volume.
• To make the dough in a stand mixer:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the old dough, water, oil, and salt. Squish the old dough with your hands to break it up in the water; it doesn't have to be perfectly mixed in.
• Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add a third of the flour. Mix on low speed until the dough looks like pancake batter. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. Remove the paddle attachment, pulling off any dough stuck to it. If there is flour at the base of the bowl, use your hands to press the dough into the flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough sit for 20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
• Remove the towel and attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Mix the dough on medium speed until the dough releases from the sides of the bowl without sticking and feels smooth to the touch, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and reposition the dough to the center of the bowl if it seems to get stuck on one side of the bowl.
• To make the dough by hand:
• Combine the old dough, water, oil, and salt in a large bowl and mix together, squishing the old dough into the water with your hands. Stir in the flour gradually with your fingers until a crumbly dough forms, then knead it a few times in the bowl by folding the dough over itself and pressing it down into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
• Dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Begin kneading by stretching and folding the dough over itself until it is smooth to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.
• To finish and shape the dough:
• Lightly oil an 8 cup [2 L] glass Pyrex or a large glass bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a lid, a plate, or plastic wrap, and let it rest for 3 hours or until doubled in volume. Or refrigerate overnight and let the dough come to room temperature for at least 2 hours before portioning.
• To portion and shape the dough, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into eight pieces about 3.5 oz [100 g] each.
• To shape the dough, cup the palm of your hand over one portion at a time and move your hand in a circle. The friction from the counter will help form the dough into a ball. If there is too much flour on the surface and the dough is sliding around, give the counter a spritz of water and try again. Lightly oil a rimmed tray and place the dough on the tray, ensuring that the portions are not touching. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap lightly coated with oil. Leave out for 1 to 1½ hours, or until puffy, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. If you refrigerate the dough, use plastic wrap to cover it and expect it to take an hour or two to return to room temperature before it is ready to be rolled out.
• Dust the counter lightly with flour. Pat a portion of dough into an oval with your fingertips. Using a rolling pin and moving back and forth, roll the dough as thinly as possible into an oval about 13 by 9 in [33 by 23 cm]. If the dough resists stretching, let it relax and start working on another portion before returning to it. You can also gently stretch the dough with your hands to correct the shape. It doesn't have to look perfect.
• To griddle lavash on overturned wok:
• Place a carbon-steel wok upside down over a burner. Have a pair of tongs handy.
• Heat the wok over high heat for 1 minute or until a sprinkle of water instantly evaporates.
• Drape the dough over the wok. Cook for 1 minute or until you can lift it easily from the wok with tongs and it has puffed slightly and blistered. Turn the dough over to briefly cook the other side, no more than 30 seconds. For extra browning, flip it over for another 30 seconds.
• Transfer the lavash to a half-sheet pan and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you cook the rest of the dough. In between batches, turn off the burner. The wok heats up quickly, and it will get too hot if the burner is left on.
• To griddle lavash on cast-iron griddle:
• Place a 20 in [50 cm] cast-iron griddle over two burners. Heat the griddle over medium-high heat for a few minutes or until a sprinkle of water instantly evaporates.
• Drape the dough over the griddle. Cook for 1 minute or until you can lift the dough easily with tongs and it has puffed slightly and blistered. Turn the dough over to briefly cook the other side, no more than 30 seconds. For extra browning, flip it over for 30 more seconds.
• Transfer the lavash to a half-sheet pan and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you cook the rest of the dough. In between batches, keep the griddle turned on, but monitor its heat so it doesn't get too hot.
• To grill lavash:
• Have tongs, a pastry brush, a small bowl of vegetable oil, and 2 half-sheet pans ready. Coat one of the pans lightly with oil.
• Heat a gas grill over medium-high heat or prepare a charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking. Ensure that the grill grates are clean. The grill should be hot enough that you can only hold your hand over the grates for 3 to 5 seconds. Place a sheet of dough onto the oiled pan and brush oil on top. Drape the oiled dough over the grill. Cover the grill and cook for 25 seconds. Uncover the grill. Using tongs, turn the lavash over and let it cook for another 25 seconds, uncovered, or until evenly blistered and puffed in parts.
• Transfer to the clean half-sheet pan and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you cook the rest of the dough.
• Eat the lavash soon after making it or store it in plastic bags to keep the bread pliable. It's okay if it dries out and turns brittle; just rehydrate it by misting the lavash with water and covering it with a towel to let it soften. Soon after, it should be pliable enough to roll up without cracking. If it's still cracking, mist with more water.

POLO BA TAHDIG (PERSIAN RICE WITH BREAD CRUST)

Steps:

• Place the rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Swirl the rice around to release some starch, then drain the bowl and fill again. Repeat several times, until water runs clear, then cover with ample water again and add 1 tablespoon salt. Let soak for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, fill a large soup or stockpot with 6 quarts water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add 7 tablespoons salt (the water should be very salty) and stir to dissolve.
• Use a small mortar and pestle to grind the saffron into a fine powder with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Use a large fine-mesh sieve or colander to drain the rice well. Add rice to the pot and stir gently, then return sieve to the sink. Cook rice, checking the grains frequently for doneness. When the rice breaks easily between your fingers when pressed but is not so soft that it falls apart, it's done. Most Persian or Indian basmati rice will take about 7 to 8 minutes to reach this point, but different brands will cook differently, so keep a closer eye on the rice than on the clock.
• Working quickly, drain rice into the sieve and rinse with cold water until cool to remove excess starch and keep rice from overcooking. Taste the rice and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Let the rice continue to drain.
• Use the lid of an 8-inch or 9-inch nonstick pot or cast-iron Dutch oven as a guide to trim the lavash bread into a slightly larger circle. It's fine to use more than one piece of bread and patch things as needed. Alternatively, use a tortilla, which needs no trimming.
• Place the pot over medium heat and add the oil. Carefully lay bread atop the oil and cook until it starts sizzling and turns a light golden color, about 30 seconds. Use tongs to flip bread and let it sizzle for another 30 seconds before adding the rice. Use a spatula to gently spread the rice evenly across the pot. Use the handle of the spatula to poke 6 to 8 holes in the rice down to the bread - this will encourage steam to escape from the bottom of the pot and yield a crisp crust.
• In a small saucepan set over low, heat the butter and the prepared saffron until butter melts. Drizzle over the rice. Wrap the lid of the rice pot with a clean dish towel, using the corners of the towel to tie a knot atop the handle. Cover the pot with the lid - the cloth should not touch the rice, but rather absorb steam as the rice cooks to keep it from getting soggy.
• Reduce the flame to medium-low (or low, if using cast-iron) and cook for about 48 minutes, rotating the pot a quarter turn every 12 minutes or so to ensure an evenly golden tahdig (add 12 more minutes for cast-iron). The rice will be done when the grains are elongated and dry and the edges of the crust turn a light golden brown.
• To serve, place a large platter or plate over the pot, gather your courage, praise your ancestors and flip the rice. It should drop onto the plate in one piece. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, remove the tahdig to a separate platter to keep it from getting soggy as the rice continues to release steam.