Feasting à la FEZANA

On the occasion of its silver jubilee in 2012, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) compiled an e-cookbook Eat Live Pray, A celebration of Zarathushti culture and cuisine from which we have gleaned the following recipes to share with our readers. Of both Iranian and Indian Parsi origin, these dishes have been tweaked to suit the modern palate while retaining their traditional flavor. More recipes are available, free of charge, on the FEZANA website: www.fezana.org

AMBAKALIYO (Parsi mango relish)
Serves 6-8
Small green mangoes (do not use squishy and soft ones) 500 g
Jaggery (broken apart in medium sized chunks) 250 g
Butter 30 g
Cinnamon sticks (2-1” pieces)
Green cardamom (4 small)
Cloves (4)
Water (60 g)
Salt (2 g)
Peel and slice the mangoes. Heat the butter in a pan, add cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and cloves. Sauté till light brown. Add jaggery, mangoes, salt and water and simmer till the mangoes have softened. Mix gently without breaking the mango slices. Keep at room temperature before serving as a relish.
Freny J. Deboo, USA

KUKU CAULIFLOWER (Cauliflower fritata)
Serves 6-8
Oil (5 ml)
Onion (1 thinly sliced)
Cumin powder (1 tsp)
Garlic paste (½ tsp)
Turmeric (a pinch)
Saffron (a pinch)
Green chilli (1 — finely chopped)
Cauliflower (500 g — medium to small pieces)
Eggs (6)
Salt (to taste)
Coriander (a handful, finely chopped)
Cheese (115 g — grated)
Milk (120 ml)
Baking powder (a pinch)
In a 10” skillet (shallow pan) heat oil and sauté onion. Add cumin powder, garlic paste, turmeric, saffron, chopped green chilli and stir lightly. Add chopped cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt and cover till cooked. Add a touch of water if too dry.
While this is cooking prepare the egg mixture with beaten eggs, herbs, cheese, milk, salt and baking powder. Once the cauliflower is cooked to desired tenderness pour the egg mixture over it. Cover and cook on low heat until cooked. Alternatively, bake in a hot oven at 190° C. Do not cover if baking. It will take 12 minutes to bake to golden brown.
Niloufer Adil Mavalvala Canada

VAAL (Dry split beans)
Whole vaal (250 g — soaked in water overnight)
Onion (1— thinly sliced)
Tomato (1— diced)
Ginger-garlic paste (1 tbsp)
Cumin-garlic paste (1 tbsp)
Dhana-jeera powder (1 tbsp)
Red chilli powder (to taste)
Parsi garam masala (1 tbsp)
Jaggery (1 lump)
Tamarind pulp (2 tbsps)
Cinnamon powder (1 tsp)
Cloves (4)
Mustard seeds (1 tsp)
Coconut (2 tbsp, grated – fresh or dry)
Oil (as needed)
Salt (to taste)
Heat a thick bottomed saucepan, sauté finely sliced onions till golden brown. Add mustard seeds and once they crackle add ginger-garlic and cumin-garlic paste and sauté. Add diced tomato, all whole spices and dry powdered spices. Add water to the mixture and the whole vaal. Cover and leave to cook over a slow flame. Once the vaal is nearly cooked, add the grated coconut. Mix the jaggery and tamarind in some water to make a fine paste and add to the nearly cooked vaal.
Simmer for a few minutes and remove from heat. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves just before serving. The vaal should be cooked dry.
Serving suggestions: Serve with freshly made wheat chapattis and ambakaliyo (Parsi mango relish).
Another ideal accompaniment to vaal is fist pounded onion soaked in malt vinegar or chopped green chillies soaked in malt vinegar. Armin Wandrewala, India

BOZ GHORMEH (Lamb casserole)
Serves 6-8
Shoulder of lamb (1.3 kg — cut into stewing pieces)
Butter (4 tbsp)
Beef broth (250 ml)
Water (60 ml)
Saffron (1 tsp)
Salt (¼ tsp)
Pepper (¼ tsp)
Onion (3 medium — chopped or sliced)
Yogurt (140 ml)
Garlic (3 cloves — grated)
Walnuts (60 g — coarsely grated)
In 2 tbsp of butter sear the lamb pieces till brown on all sides. Add the beef broth, water, saffron, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1½-2 hours till the meat is tender. Sauté the onions in the butter until golden brown and sprinkle over the meat.
Mix some of the gravy with the beaten yogurt in a cup. Make sure it is mixed properly, then pour the mixture over the meat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add sautéed grated garlic and ground walnuts on top before serving.
Azardokht Kermani, USA

DAHI NU GOS (Meat with yogurt)
Mutton/chicken (900 g — cut into medium pieces)
Ginger-garlic paste (3-4 tbsp)
Green chillies (3-4)
Turmeric powder (1 tsp)
Dhana-jeera powder (1 tsp)
Coriander (10-15 stalks)
Mint (3-4 stalks)
Peppercorns (8-10)
Cinnamon stick (3”)
Cloves (6-8)
Green cardamom (4 — peeled)
Potatoes (500 g — cut into medium pieces)
Medium onions (4-5)
Oil (for frying)
Saffron (few threads)
Yogurt (750 g)
Coarsely grind peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamom. Marinate the meat overnight with the above crushed spices, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, coriander, mint, turmeric and dhana-jeera powder. Slice the onions and fry till brown; then allow them to cool. Heat the saffron slightly and add it to the yogurt and mix well.
Add the marinated meat to the fried onions along with the yogurt. Cook covered at low to medium heat, till the meat is done and thick gravy remains. Add water only if necessary. Parboil the potatoes and lightly fry in oil or drizzle with oil and bake for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes to the meat about 10 minutes before serving, or serve separately.
Nargesh Limbuvalla, Canada

MACHHI NA KAVAB (Fish kebabs)
Makes 40 kavabs
Potatoes (4 medium)
Onions (2 medium)
Garlic (5 cloves)
Ginger (2” piece)
Green chilli (1)
Garam masala (1 tsp)
Turmeric (½ tsp)
Coriander seeds (½ tsp — ground)
Cumin seeds (½ tsp — ground)
Pepper (¼ tsp)
Salt (to taste)
Coriander (½-3/4 cup)
Mint leaves (1 tbsp)
Lemon juice (2 tsp, optional)
Tabasco sauce (dash, optional)
Tuna (680 g)
Cheese (150 g)
Eggs (2)
Oil (for sautéing and frying)
Boil/microwave and peel potatoes. Chop the onions into a coarse mince and sauté to soft and golden. Add finely minced garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté until softened. Add garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander seed, ground cumin, pepper and salt. Once the aroma is released, in about 30 seconds, remove the pan from heat and stand aside.
In a large mixing bowl, coarsely mash the peeled potatoes. Add the sautéed ingredients, the minced mint and coriander into the mixing bowl. For a bit of perk, add lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco. Mix with a spoon or knead with your hands. Flake the tuna and add with the eggs and cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Use about 28 g of the mixture for each kavab. Pat them into wheels about 3/4” thick and about 2½” in diameter. They should not be too thin (they will be difficult to flip) or too thick (they won’t cook through). Fry them for about four minutes over medium heat, flipping them only once at the two-minute mark.
Shenaya Tarapore, USA
ZERESHK PALAO (Berry rice)
Serves 4
Chicken (900 g — skinned)
Onions (2 — chopped)
Basmati rice, soaked for two hours (260 g)
Zereshk (barberries) (150g — cleaned and pitted)
Butter (1½ tsp)
Saffron (½ tsp — powdered with a pinch of salt)
Sugar (2 tsp)
Turmeric powder (¼ tsp)
Black pepper (¼ tsp — ground)
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for cooking)
Fry onions till golden. Add turmeric, ground pepper and chicken pieces and sauté together for about five minutes. Add two cups of water with salt to taste, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer till about half a cup of gravy remains. Add a pinch of saffron to the mixture and stir thoroughly.
In another pot cook rice till almost done, strain and run lukewarm water over it to avoid overcooking (as it will need to be steamed with the chicken). In a separate bowl, mix a quarter tsp of saffron and three tbsp of warm water with quarter of the rice and keep aside.
Soak the barberries in water for about 15 minutes, strain and rinse. Fry barberries with ½ tsp butter and sugar till round and plump. Add two pinches of saffron and keep aside.
In a large pot, put one tsp of butter and a quarter cup of water on medium heat till the butter melts. Spread the following in layers: half of the white rice, the cooked chicken pieces and some gravy, about one-third of the fried barberries; a layer of the remaining white rice, the yellow saffron rice, finally top off with the remaining barberries. With a spatula, move the rice away from the sides towards the centre, making a little mound. Flatten the top slightly and add the remaining butter.
Wrap the lid of the pot in a towel and cover the pot. Turn the temperature down to a low setting and allow the rice to cook for about 30 minutes. Mix thoroughly and serve on a large platter.
Mackie R. Katgara, Canada