Persian Chelo Kebab with Tzatziki and Pulao

                     
                                               
My obsession with lamb continues like discovering your new lover’s body. Mr. Sweet Potato wanted lamb kebabs with ground lamb.  He said he likes the spices and the mint to find it s way into the inner molecular structure and ground lamb is the only way to achieve that. “ Do you want meat balls?” I ask curiously? He shook his head all knowingly and showed me Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Iran. It so happens he wanted Chelo kebabs. The ground lamb is mixed with spices and binding agents, bread crumbs, eggs and then patted out on a flat knife like skewer.

 I decided to make the Moroccan green goddess chutney Charmoula to marinate the ground lamb with. Charmoula is Botticelli’s Flora, green and earthy and with the same magical powers. It’s made with fresh ground cilantro and parsley. The  paprika and cumin giving a smoky flavor, the heat from chilies and a pungent piece of ginger are my own interpretations and last but not the least the acidity is from preserved lemon.

The perfect way to cut through the Charmoula infused lamb is yogurt. Hence I made Tzatziki with cool, crunchy cucumber and fresh mint and garlic. I make mine salty and let it sit in the refrigerator for hours before serving to let the flavors fossilize with each other. I made starchy potatoes to absorb the strong dishes along with sweet pepper and string beans.

I roped in My Sweet Potato to make Pulao. He was stingy sharing his secret recipe and suggested we withhold some ingredients. I pursued him with vengeance so as to not miss any pinch of spice or splash of liquid that went into the simmering pot. I did not know he used saffron milk to cook the Basmati rice or that he used both black and white pepper. Goes to show you could be married for 15 years and can still extract kitchen secrets as if you had just met. Is this how one falls in love all over again? By watching golden orange milk being poured into a pot with long, proud grains of Basmati rice? The Pulao was fluffy, buttery and with right amount of heat from peppers.

We enjoyed Sunday night dinner with Ms. Hibiscus flower and Ms. Salsa and shared Pulao, Chelo kebabs, vegetables, Proseco and our journey to America (the land of milk and honey), our immigrant roots, delicious childhood food memories and the library of books that Ms. Salsa had managed to devour in her young life so far

                                                                     
                                                                    Charmoula

2 bunches of cilantro, 1 bunch parsley, 2 tsp paprika, 3 tsp cumin, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 small piece ginger, 3 green chilies.
and half a preserved lemon.

Saute the green chilies and garlic in olive oil

Toast the cumin

Mix all of above and grind

If you want the Charmoula a bit creamy add toasted almond slivers
and grind

                         

The green Goddess of my kitchen is ready to woo and whisper spicy, tangy goodness

                                                               Persian Chelo Kebab

1 pound of ground lamb

I onion grated and excess water drained, 1 bunch of mint finely diced, juice from 1 lemon, 1 cup of bread crumbs
4 heaped tsp of Charmoula and 1 egg

All of above is mixed together with the lamb and marinated for 3 hours
Cook lamb kebabs uncovered  at 400 degrees for 20 min
And broil for 2-3 min uncovered for further browning.

                             
                                                                   Tzatziki

5 cups of yogurt, 1 cucumber, 1 bunch of mint, 6 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, juice from 1 lemon

Remove skin of cucumber and  julienne, finely dice mint and garlic,

add juice from lemon, the olive oil and 2 tsp salt 

Add yogurt and mix well
Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving

                                                                      Vegetables

Sweet peppers, green beans and garlic cloves with olive oil and Vadouvan spice
Cubed potatoes with olive oil and Vadouvan spice 

Cook covered in oven at 400 degrees for 25 min

Cook covered at 400 degrees for 40 min and broil uncovered for 3 min for extra browning

                                                                     Pulao

Heat oil and butter in dutch oven

Add 2 onions finely sliced and saute

4 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 pieces of cardamom, 8 pieces of clove, 2 star anise.
Soak 1/2 tsp of saffron in water

1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp white pepper.

Add 1 cup diced carrots and peas to pink translucent onions and then all the spices above except saffron
and saute

Add 2 cups of rice and saute

Add the saffron water to 1 cup of hot milk and mix

Add the saffron milk to the rice.

Add 4 cups of water

Cover and cook for 15 min

Fluffy, peppery, saffrony  Pulao!

Sunday night dinner
Bon Appetit!