Tabriz Cuisine (Part 2)

Tabriz Milk Rice

Ingredients: (serves 4)
3 and 1/2 cups dry white rice
300 grams unsalted butter
1 medium onion
4 cups milk
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground saffron
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
500 grams chicken breast
1 cup crispy onions
1 cup slivered pistachios
2 cups water
1/3 cup rosewater

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt, pepper and turmeric powder to taste

How to:

1. Soak dry rice in boiling water for 30 minutes. Place chicken fillets in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and turmeric powder. Grate the onion and squeeze well. Add the liquids to the chicken fillets and mix well. Cover and set aside for the flavors to combine. Meanwhile mix together 4 cups of milk with 2 cups of water in a big pot and bring to a boil.
2. Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling milk. Add salt, saffron and rosewater. Once half the liquid has evaporated add 200 grams of the butter and stir gently until well incorporated. Cover pot with cloth and set the lid on to make sure no steam escapes the pot. Lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes or until rice is completely cooked. (To check if the rice is completely done: wet your fingers slightly in cold water and carefully touch the side of the hot pot. If you hear a sizzling sound your rice is ready. Be careful not to burn yourself!)
3. Sauté chicken breast with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the remaining 100 grams butter and raisins and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked completely.
4. To serve: transfer rice to a serving plate and top with the chicken and raisin mixture. Garnish with crispy onions and slivered pistachios like the picture. Enjoy!

Tabriz Cabbage Pottage

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1/2 cup dry chickpeas
1/2 cup dry (?) beans
2/3 cup lentils
200 grams chopped cabbages
2 tablespoons crispy onions
2 tablespoons crispy garlic
3 diced carrots
50 grams celery leaves
200 grams noodles (traditional Persian pottage noodles are preferred. Can be purchased from Persian grocery stores)
1/2 cup kashk (dehydrated yoghurt. Cab be purchased from Persian grocery stores)

Salt and pepper to taste
How to:

1. Soak chickpeas and beans in cold water over night. Change the water several times during the night to ensure even cooking. Drain and transfer to a pot. Add enough cold water to completely cover the beans around 3 inches. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 hours until beans are half-cooked.
2. Add lentils and wait until boiling again. Add chopped cabbage leaves. Add crispy onions and crispy garlic and season with salt and pepper and turmeric powder.
3. Add diced carrots and celery leaves. Cook for 1 more hour on low heat to let all ingredients cook through.
4. Add noodles and cook for 15 to maximum 30 minutes to let noodles cook completely. Remove from heat, add diluted kashk (add one cup water) and serve in a big heat proof punch bowl.

Tabriz White Pottage
Ingredients:

1 kilogram pottage greens (equal parts chives and dill leaves, finely chopped)
4 liters dough (buy from Persian grocery stores or dilute 3 cups of unsweetened Greek yoghurt in 6 cups of water and add salt)
6 cups dry white rice
300 grams ground beef
1 cup dry chickpeas
1 medium onion
Crispy onions for garnish
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt, pepper and turmeric powder to taste

How to:

1. Knead together the ground beef and grated onion until sticky. Form into half walnut sized meatballs and fry in half a cup of vegetable oil until brown.
2. In a pot cook rice with 6 cups of water until rice grains lose their shape.
3. Soak chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain and cook with two cups of water for 3 hours until cooked completely. (Or use 2 cups of drained canned chickpeas).
4. Add meatballs and dough to the rice pot and stir continuously for 15 minutes. Add drained chickpeas. Once boiling add crispy onions and chopped greens. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve in a big heat proof crystal punch bowl.

Tabriz Tomato Pottage

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 cup dry red dal (from Persian grocery stores)
1/2 cup dry white rice
1/2 crushed dry wheat
2 cups finely chopped fresh greens (parsley and chives)
5 cups chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup sour grape juice or 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 kilogram ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons dry mint leaves, powdered
3 tablespoons crispy onions
Vegetable oil for frying

How to:

1. Soak dal in cold water for 3 hours prior to cooking. Change the water several times to ensure even cooking. Add crushed wheat and soak together for 1 more hour. Drain and cook in boiling broth for 1 hour until half-cooked.
2. Add rice to the pot and cook for one hour or until the rice grains lose their shape. Peel tomatoes and puree using a food processor. Add the puree to the pot along with the finely chopped greens. Cook for one hour until the pottage visibly thickens.
3. Add sour grape or lemon juice right before serving. To garnish: heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a shallow saucepan and sprinkle mint powder over hot oil. Lower the heat and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer pottage to a heat proof crystal punch bowl. Use this fragrant darkened oil to draw shapes on the surface of the pottage and garnish with crispy onions.

Tabriz Vine-leaf Dulma

Ingredients: (serves 4 to 6)
1 kilogram vine leaves
500 grams ground beef
3 medium onions
1 cup wheat kernels, slightly crushed
1 cup red dal (you can buy special Iranian red dal from Persian grocery stores)
200 grams fresh finely chopped dill
200 grams fresh finely chopped savory
400 grams fresh finely chopped spring onions
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
100 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons crushed dried rose petals (a special type of rose flower is known in Iran as Muhammad Rose and it used to make rosewater. You can buy these powdered petals from Persian grocery stores)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sour grape (optional)

How to:

1. Soak dry rice and wheat kernels in separate containers for at least 3 hours.
2. Dice onions and cook in medium heat until transparent and almost golden. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Once beef is brown add the dal and cook for a few minutes.
3. Drain rice and dal and add to the pot along with chipped greens. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add yoghurt and butter, mix well until the butter is melted and leave aside to cool.
5. Once the mixture has cooled down, pick a half a walnut sized amount of the mixture and place it on a vine leaf and roll tightly. Arranged rolled dulmas in a pot on top of one another and once the mixture is finished, top with two or three vine leaves spread over the dulmas.
6. Gently pour chicken broth over the pot from the side and set the pot on medium-high heat. Once broth starts to boil, lower the heat and cook for 1 hour to 90 minutes until cooked completely.