Persian cuisine is surely one of the master cuisines of the world.  It is unique, with is origins more than 3000 years old.  The survival of the cuisine is due largely to its enduring appeal of delicate blends of flavours.  Today the inferences can be seen from Morocco through to the eastern Mediterranean, most of the middle east and on to India. The Persians have always believed in satisfying both the eye and the palate when it comes to food.  When Alexander the Great defeated Persia,  he was one of the first to succumb to the refinements of Persian food.  It is a highly fragrant cuisine, a mix of delicate spices and fragrances from saffron and cardamom to rosewater, pomegranates, nuts and fruit.  At the center of Persian cooking is its blend of meets with fruits and nuts, variety of dips and condiments, and its method of cooking rice which is the centerpiece on most tables.

It is with this background that we headed to Kuhestan Farm in Magoebaskloof for a weekend of Persian indulgence.  The farm is perched on the mountaintop, with spectacular views of the forests and valleys below.  Cottages are all beautifully appointed with large bath rooms, fireplace and fully fitted kitchen, so ideal for self catering.  But we were here for a Persian cooking weekend.

Shahrzad, our  instructor and co-owner of the farm with her husband Brett, had a real feast in store.  On the first evening we enjoyed a Persian feast of slow braised whole chickens as well as the variety of signature rice dishes, followed by a fascinating slide show on Persia -  Shahrzad is Persian by birth.

The following day, joined by a couple that had traveled all the way from Cape Town, we started our Persian cooking class.  First we were introduced to the basic spices  and techniques  – for instance Persians soak the rice for between 2 and 24 hours.  This gives the delicate long grain of rice once cooked.  Through the day we peeled, chopped and cooked, blending the delicate flavors and coaxing them in ten delicious dishes that we enjoyed for dinner.

By the end of the weekend we had a true understanding of this complex cuisine, and are will be able to reproduce  a number of the dishes for a lavish dinner party with friends.  And to add to the enjoyment we received a beautiful pack of spice blends, preserves and pickles, produced on the farm.  For more information on cooking weekends contact   

Shahrzad and Brett Hone

Kuhestan Farm

082 903 7593/082 887 8029

See also:

Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking - for mouthwatering book on Persian cooking

Pomegranate Khoresh with Chicken - A delicious  Persian recipe

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Johannesburg Cooking Classes. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This recipe is from the book New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmanglij and similar to a dish we cooked at Kuhestan Farm deuring our Persian cooking class weekend. Pomegranate paste is available in specialty food stores - click here for more information on Pomegranate paste. There are two kinds, a very sweet Persian brand, and a very sour Arab brand. Mix them together to create a sweet and sour mixture. The pomegranate paste can be replaced with yogurt, beaten for 5 minutes with 1/2t  ground saffron. The butternut squash can be replaced with beets or eggplants, or quince, or pitted prunes. The walnut can be replace with pecan, pistachio, almond or hazel nuts.

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1kg chicken breasts, cut up with skin removed
5T  oil or butter
1t  salt
1/2 cup pomegranate paste dissolved in 2 1/2 cups water, or 4 cups fresh squeezed pomegranate juice
1 cup peeled and cubed butternut squash (optional)
2 cups very finely ground shelled walnuts
1/2t cinnamon
1/4t ground saffron dissolved in 1T  hot water
±2T  sugar

1. In a casserole, heat 3T oil and brown onions.
2. Add the chicken and fry until it changes colour. Add 1t salt.
3. Heat 2T  oil in a non-stick pan and brown both sides of the butternut squash, set aside.
4. In a food processor, finely grind the nuts, add the diluted pomegranate paste, cinnamon, saffron water and mix well to create a creamy paste.
5. Add the butternut squash and nut paste to the casserole with the chicken and onion, stirring gently. If the pomegranate paste is too sour, add sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning.
6. If the stew is too thick, add warm water to thin it. Taste the sauce and adjust for seasoning and thickness. The stew should be sweet and sour according to your taste.
7. Serve with rice
   

Serves 4-6

See also:

Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking - for mouthwatering book on Persian cooking

Pomegranate Khoresh with Chicken - A delicious  Persian recipe

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill - (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Johannesburg Cooking Classes. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Mezzes (different spending to Turkish meze) are the best known aspect of the Middle Eastern cuisine, and it is in fact claimed that mezzes were invented by the Lebanese, together with alfresco dining. A typical Middle-Eastern meal will consist of a number of mezzes, served together with flat bread. At a Lebanese banquet there are often over 40 mezze dishes on offer. The main course a casual affair, with an average family of 4-6 people enjoying 3-4 dishes, placed on the table simultaneously. Should additional guests partake, more dishes are added as opposed to increasing the size of dishes. Similarly dessert also could involve several dishes.

Irrespective of the total number of dishes, the Lebanese table always includes olives, pickles and labne (cream cheese); as well as bread, fresh herbs, cucumbers and onions.

A few classic Lebanese dishes

Sterters

• Baba ghanoush
• Hummous with ground lamb and pinenuts
• Cabbage rolls
• Stuffed vine leaves
• Pickled turnips
• Labneh – a yoghurt cheese, delicious with raw vegetables.

Fish

• Fish fillets with tahini sauce – good with any fish, a classic Lebanese dish.

Poultry

• Roast chicken – with onions, served on flat breads, popular restaurant food.
• H’reesy – a classic Lebanese dish of creamed chicken and wheat.
• Fattat Djaj – a bed of toasted bread, topped with chicken and the yogurt sauce.

Meat

• Kibbi Naye – raw lamb mixed with burgul, mint, coriander, onion and spices
• Baked kibbi – layered with pinenuts and onions.
• Deep-fried kibbi balls – filled with pinenuts.
• Kafta – minced spicy lamb on a skewer.
• Shish barak – Lebanese lamb tortellini, in a yoghurt sauce
• Green bean stew with lamb

Salads

• Fattoush – the most popular everyday Lebanese bread salad.
• Tabbouleh salad – delicious buffet summer salad made with parsley and burghul.

Vegetables

• Bean stew – French beans with tomato and onion sauce.
• Stuffed vegetables – typical of the Middle East.
• Stuffed eggplant – with mince, toasted bread, tomato sauce and yoghurt.

Rice

• M’judra Byda – lentils with rice and caramelized onions, eaten hot or cold.
• Lebanese rice – rice mixed with vermicelli delicious with stews.

Breads and pies

• Pita bread
• Mahrouh – flat paper bread
• Za’tar pies – flat bread with thyme, sesame seeds and lemon.
• Deep-fried bread pies – with meat or cheese fillings.
• Triangle bread pies – stuffed with spinach and feta.

Cakes and desserts

• Muhallabiya – Milk pudding, the most popular restaurants dessert, topped with nuts.
• Osmaliyah – Kataifi pastry with a cream filling and lemon syrup.
• Ma’moul – shortbread with chopped nuts, typical Easter biscuits.
• Baklava – a dessert of layered pastry filled with nuts and steeped in honey-lemon syrup, usually cut in a triangular or diamond shape.
• Turkish coffee
• Mint tea

Middle Eastern food

Roughly speaking the Middle-East sweeps south from Egypt through Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula, through to Iran and Turkey. The majority of the people … Read more

Recipes

• Cabbage rolls

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School Johannesburg runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Middle Eastern cooking classes. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.