Persian Yogurt Salad Food

PERSIAN CUCUMBER YOGURT (MAAST-O KHIAR)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and shallot. Season with dill, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

MAST-O KHIAR (PERSIAN CUCUMBER AND HERB YOGURT)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, submerge the raisins in boiling water to plump for 10 minutes, then drain well.
• Remove alternating stripes of peel on cucumbers and trim ends. Dice cucumbers into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a large bowl with raisins, yogurt, fresh herbs, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and, if using, half the rose petals. Using your fingers to break up any large pieces, gently grind the dried mint and dried dill into the bowl. Stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
• Just before serving, stir in the walnuts and transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining rose petals, if using. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

MAST-O-KHIAR (YOGURT CUCUMBER SALAD BITES)

Steps:

• Scrub the surface of one cucumber using a vegetable brush and rinse well. Chop into small pieces. Alternatively you may grate the cucumber, especially for making the appetizer style cucumber yogurt salad bites.
• Drain any juices very well. It should yield about 2 cups grated cucumber.
• In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber, yogurt, garlic, dill, green onions, mint, and ground rose petals. Season it with pepper and salt as per taste.
• Add raisins and walnuts if you prefer. The addition of these ingredients is most suitable if preparing it for the appetizer style cucumber salad bites. Chill the mixture for one to two hours.
• If serving it as a traditional salad, then transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Garnish with rose petals and mint to finish off the Mast-o-khiar.
• If serving it as cucumber salad bites, then take the other cucumber, scrub and rinse the surface very well with a vegetable brush.
• Cut off the ends of the cucumber. Then using a sharp knife cut it lengthwise through the center into two long halves.
• Using a melon baller scoop out the center portion of the cucumber to create a hollow cavity along the length of the halves. Then cut the hollowed out cucumber halves into smaller pieces. Using a small spoon fill these with the cucumber yogurt mixture.
• Garnish the yogurt cucumber salad bites with rose petals, mint, red pepper flakes, walnuts, raisins, barberries etc.
• Place the cucumber salad bites on a serving platter and insert toothpicks to make it easy to serve.

ASHEH MAST | PERSIAN YOGURT SOUP

Steps:

• First, soak the rice, cotyledons and lentils in separate bowls from the night (12 hours) before you want to cook Ash Mast, and change the water with fresh water at least 4times.
• Choose a suitable pot and pour 4 or 5 liters water into it and place the pot on the heat. When water boils, add cotyledons.
• Wait for 20 minutes, then add lentils and leave the ingredients for some minutes till they boil gently.
• In this step, add rinsed and drained rice to the pot. Wait till the whole combinations gets a thicker texture.
• Add fried onions which you'd made before, some salt and black pepper. Put the pot lid and Let the content cook over low heat gently.
• In the meantime, grate the second onion and one garlic clove. Place them in a bowl and add 1/8 tablespoon turmeric, salt and pepper.
• Mix them well together. Add the minced meat and once again mix the ingredients all well.Make meatballs with the meat mixture about the size of a cherry.
• Sauté meatballs with a little oil and then add them to the pot.
• Add fried mint and wait till yoghurt soup cooks with the rest of the ingredients.
• Turn off the heat and taste your dish and check if you need to add some salt.
• Once Ash e Mast is ready, you can either add 2 cups of yogurt to the pot or a dollop of yogurt to each bowl.
• Mix the yogurt, and enjoy the dish.

PERSIAN SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Discard the spinach stems. Wash and drain the leaves, then chop coarsely.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and a generous pinch of cinnamon, if using, and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, stirring often. Drain well and let cool.
• In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and mint or dill. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the spinach and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with walnuts and more herbs. Serve at room temperature with pita bread.

PERSIAN YOGURT SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, blend yogurt, dill weed, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss in the cucumber. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.