Ingredients
2 onion, finely sliced
1/3 cup oil or butter
1 lb stewing meat (lamb or beef), cut in 1 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cup ; water
2 large quinces
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground saffron, dissolved in
1 tbsp ; water, hot
1/3 cup yellow split peas
CHELO
3 cup basmati rice
8 cup ; water
2 tbsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp saffron, dissolved in
2 tbsp ; water, hot
2 tbsp yogurt (opt)
Directions
In large pot, brown onions in 3 Tbsp. of oil or butter. Add meat and
brown. Add salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Add water, cover and simmer
over low heat for 1 hr, stirring occasionally.
Wash, but don't peel quinces. Use apple corer to remove seeds. Slice
as for apple pie. In skillet, saute in 2 Tbsp. oil or butter and set
aside.
To the meat, add sugar, vinegar or lemon juice, saffron, split peas,
and quince. Cover and simmer 35 minutes. Check to see that meat and
fruit are cooked. Taste and correct seasoning. Transfer to deep
casserole dish and keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Serve hot
with chelo (recipe below.)
(Note: I am giving the detailed instructions for chelo. I don't use
the yogurt and I drizzle the remaining saffron over *all* the rice. I
also serve the tah dig(crust) with the rest of the rice.)
Chelo: Wash rice 5 times in cold water. Bring water and salt to
boil in a large non-stick pan. Add washed and drained rice. Boil 6
minutes, stirring gently twice to loosen grains that may have stuck
to bottom. Drain rice in colander and rinse in lukewarm water.
In same pot, heat half the butter, 2 Tbsp. hot water, a drop of
dissolved saffron, and yogurt. Taking one spatula at a time, place
rice gently in pot mounding in the shape of a pyramid.
Dissolve remaining butter in 2 Tbsp. hot water and pour over rice.
Place clean dishtowel over pot and cover firmly with lid to prevent
steam from escaping. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat and 50 minutes
over low heat. Remove from heat.
Allow to cool 5 minutes on a damp surface without removing lid. Put 2
Tbsp. of the rice in with remaining saffron and set aside for
garnish. Gently remove rice from pot without disturbing crust.
Sprinkle saffron flavored rice over top and serve. Detach crust and
serve separately.
>From _Food of Life_.
posted by: Sarah Henderson
from the rec.food.recipes archives
Stephanie da Silva (arielle@taronga.com), archivist Submitted
By SAM WARING
1995 134731 GMT
Servings: 6 servings
Persian Quince Stew (Khoresh-E Beh) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Soup; Stew
The History of Recipes
Academics have found proof that recipes existed way back into history, in fact as far into history as the ancient Egyptians, and maybe further still. Interesting though that maybe, in the main part, these ancient recipes were just very simple hieroglyphic recipes for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to experts is a series of stone tablets in Sumerian which show the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel blissful and exhilarated. Closer to modern times, there were some books which date from the 14th Century : a recipe book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. Although the titles sound familiar, these are unconnected to the indian food that is popular today, but rather descriptions of the types of meals on the tables of the rich and wealthy people of those days. During the succeeding few hundred years, the upper-class families of the West strove to serve up the most exotic banquets, and consequentially the best cooks and their collection of recipes became highly prized. Even so, it wasn`t until the 19th century that fine cookery and recipe collections rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated the best years of their lives to assembling, verifying, and writing down the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the arrival of the 1900s, cookery publications were greatly in demand mostly due to better eduction, people having more leisure time and disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Persian Quince Stew (Khoresh E Beh) recipe.
