Recipe from Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmanglij (Mage Publishers)
Photo credit: www.najmieh.com
Note from the author: In Iran, it is customary to eat noodles before embarking on something new. For us, they symbolize the choice of paths among the many that life spreads out before us. Eating those tangled strands is like unraveling the Gordian knot of life’s infinite possibilities in order to pick out the best. Noodles, we believe, can bring good fortune and make new endeavors fruitful. That is why noodles are always served on Nowruz, the Iranian New Year’s Day.
Legumes
soak overnight, drain & rinse:
- 1/4 cup (50g) dried red kidney beans, such as Rancho Gordo Domingo Rojo beans
- 1/4 cup (50g) dried chickpeas, such as Rancho Gordo Garbanzo beans
- 2 cups (400g) lentils, such as Rancho Gordo French-Style Green Lentils
Broth
- 1/4 cup (60ml) oil
- 3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 11/2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 16 cups (3.8l) broth or water
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 pound (225g) Persian noodles (reshteh) or ¾ lb fresh noodles
- 1 cup (100g) chopped spring onions
- 1 cup (85g) chopped fresh dill weed
- 2 cups (170g) coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 pounds (900g) fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped, or 1 1/4 pounds (570g) chopped frozen spinach
- 2 cups (480g) liquid kashk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) verjuice (ab-ghureh)* or 1/4 cup lime juice
Garnish (na’na dagh)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) oil
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 cup (20g) dried mint flakes, crushed
- Heat 1/4 cup/60ml oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the legumes, salt, pepper, turmeric, and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in 12 cups/2.8l broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the cumin, coriander, and ginger, cover, and cook for 55 minutes longer. Check to be sure the beans are tender. Use a handheld mixer to partially puree the soup (this helps give body to the soup so you don’t need to add flour).
- Add noodles and cook—about 10 minutes for dried noodles; if using fresh noodles, add them after the herbs in step 5 and cook for only 2 to 5 minutes.
- Add all the herbs. Cover and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes. Check
to be sure the noodles are cooked. - Add the kashk (save 2 tablespoons for the garnish). Add the verjuice and stir well
with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Add more warm broth if the osh is too thick.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve. - To prepare the garnish (na’na dagh): Heat 1/4 cup/60ml oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add the turmeric, give it a stir, and remove from heat. Crumble the dried mint flakes in the palm of your hand and add it to the skillet. Stir well and set aside.
- Pour the soup into a tureen. Garnish with the na’na dagh and a dollop of kashk. Bring the tureen to the table to feast the eyes. Just before serving, use a long-handled ladle to stir the garnish, incorporating it into the soup. Nush-e Jan!
using dried herbs
If using dried herbs, reduce quantity to 1⁄3 of fresh herbs. Place dried herbs in a sieve,
immerse in a bowl of cold water, and soak for 20 minutes, lift up the sieve to drain before adding in step 2.