While my husband was in grad school studying Persian literature, I started exploring Persian culinary traditions as a fun way to embrace and support his studies. One of our favorite meals is the very simple dish of koobideh, ground lamb kebabs, served with roasted tomatoes and basmati rice.
The trick to a successful koobideh is to drain out the onion juice. This will help the meat to hold it’s shape better without being to soggy. The ground onion creates a much different experience in the flavor and texture of the dish than simply chopping the onion and adding it to the meat.
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The Seattle Iranian Festival is an annual event for my family. My husband got his Master’s degree in Persian literature, and through his studies we were introduced to the local Persian community.
Each year we reconnect with old friends, and savor the amazing food.
Art, colors, texture, music, beauty everywhere…
Each year Gem is made to feel like a princess, as our friends tell her they remember when she was just tiny.
But you needn’t be connected to the local Iranian community to enjoy the Seattle Iranian Festival. Free, welcoming, open to all, this event will open your eyes to a beautiful culture that is not well understood in our country. It comes around every year. Give it a try next June.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat
Thinly slice and caramelize the leeks, and brown the chicken. Make sure the leeks are well caramelized, releasing all their sugars. This will help to counteract the tartness of the pomegranate juice.
Add one tub of Knorr Chicken Homestyle Stock concentrate and thin with the pomegranate juice.
Grind the walnuts to the size of breadcrumbs in a food processor, and add to the pot along with the cardamom.
Cover and allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Cook time will vary, just make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°.
Shred or cut chicken into bite size pieces and stir back into gravy. Remove the lid to allow the gravy to further reduce. It should be thick enough to sit on top of the rice rather than run right through.
Serve on basmati rice.
Notes:
If the gravy is a little too tart, add a tablespoon of sugar, but not too much. This isn’t supposed to be dessert.
Cooking the chicken in larger pieces results in juicier meat, but if you are in a hurry, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before browning, and do not cover while simmering to significantly cut the required cooking time.
This isn’t a pretty dish, but it’s yummy. In fact, you might even find yourself closing your eyes as you enjoy it.
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FTC disclaimer: I received free product from Knorr for use in creating this recipe.
It’s hard to party when your heart is with people dying on the street on the other side of the world. Harder still for Seattle’s Iranian-American community, with family members caught up in the in the fight for their rights, freedom, and even their lives in Iran.
Yet party is just what we did today at the 3rd Annual Seattle Iranian Festival.
People tore themselves away from the reports streaming in online and on TV for a day to come together and celebrate the Iranian culture.
With dancing and music
Art exhibits
and of course, food. (Why does food served from the side of a truck always taste better?)
Gem, my little Rebel With a Cause, was a champ all day. She didn’t fuss and she absolutely loved the crowd – and we were there all day. I think this little one is going to be a people person.
The events inside the building were focused on the culture and heritage of the Iranian people
Outside, demonstrators showed their solidarity with the people of Iran.
I’ve been to this festival before, in fact I knew many of the participants, performers, and organizers. This has always been a fun event. But this year the Seattle Iranian Festival was amazing.
Throughout history the Iranian people have been phenomenally resilient. I believe this will continue to be the case.
Most days, the fact that Mr. H and I go to different schools with different schedules is not an issue. This week has been a different story. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. H graduated from UW on Saturday which has had him in party mode since he turned in his final paper on Friday. I, on the other hand, still have finals and papers due this week.
The party/not to party debate has been raging for the past five days.
Aside from the fact that I still have a serious amount of studying and writing to do, there is also the fact that Mr. H is a good five years younger than me and much less of a lightweight when it comes to partying.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party. It’s just so much easier to enjoy when I’m not stressing out about whether or not I will be able get my #$%& together and finish this quarter with adequate grades.
Obviously I lost that battle, because this is just one quarter for me and its Graduation for him. The last, and coolest, party we attended this weekend was on Sunday night and it was thrown by one of the students in Mr. H’s Persian program.
Those students in the Persian Studies program know how to throw a party.
I’ve been busy this week.
I have one final final and I’m done for the quarter. Then I can breath, sleep, party…
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