Shared by Ayala Hodak
Shared by Ayala Hodak
A Quintessential Persian Stew
A Quintessential Persian Stew
Family Journey
Tehran, IranHolon, Israel
Tenafly, New Jersey
4 recipes
Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
Ingredients
- 12 dried black Persian limes, halved and seeded
- 9 cups water, divided
- 1 cup black eyed peas, soaked overnight
- 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 3 bunches parsley (8 cups leaves and tender stems), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 3 bunches cilantro (8 cups leaves and tender stems), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch mint (1½ cups leaves), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 1 leek, green part only, sliced into ⅛-inch strips and washed
- 3 tablespoons dried savory
- 3 tablespoons dried mint
- 3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
Shifteh Berenji (Persian Meatball Soup)
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 cup dried small white beans, such as navy beans, soaked in 4 cups of water overnight
- 1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 10 dried black Persian limes, halved
- 6 chicken necks or backs (or 1½ pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks)
- 2 small whole yellow onions, peeled
- 2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground white meat chicken
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 1½ cups finely chopped cilantro (1 bunch)
- 1¼ cups finely chopped parsley (1 bunch)
- ¼ cup finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces pitted prunes (1¼ cup)
Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Omelette)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch parsley (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- ½ bunch cilantro (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- ½ bunch dill (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Faloodeh (Cold Desert With Apples and Rosewater)
Ingredients
- 4 gala apples, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar*
- 3 ½ tablespoons rosewater
- 3 cups water
- 5-6 ice cubes
Recipes
1
Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
Ingredients
- 12 dried black Persian limes, halved and seeded
- 9 cups water, divided
- 1 cup black eyed peas, soaked overnight
- 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 3 bunches parsley (8 cups leaves and tender stems), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 3 bunches cilantro (8 cups leaves and tender stems), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch mint (1½ cups leaves), washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 1 leek, green part only, sliced into ⅛-inch strips and washed
- 3 tablespoons dried savory
- 3 tablespoons dried mint
- 3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
2
Shifteh Berenji (Persian Meatball Soup)
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 cup dried small white beans, such as navy beans, soaked in 4 cups of water overnight
- 1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 10 dried black Persian limes, halved
- 6 chicken necks or backs (or 1½ pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks)
- 2 small whole yellow onions, peeled
- 2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground white meat chicken
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 1½ cups finely chopped cilantro (1 bunch)
- 1¼ cups finely chopped parsley (1 bunch)
- ¼ cup finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces pitted prunes (1¼ cup)
3
Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Omelette)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch parsley (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- ½ bunch cilantro (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- ½ bunch dill (1 cup leaves and tender stems), washed, dried and chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
4
Faloodeh (Cold Desert With Apples and Rosewater)
Ingredients
- 4 gala apples, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar*
- 3 ½ tablespoons rosewater
- 3 cups water
- 5-6 ice cubes
Ayala Hodak was a cook in residence, sharing several stories and recipes with the JFS archive. Read about the Persian sweet her family enjoys for Yom Kippur breakfast her and her mother's herb omelet. You can find all of her recipes in her recipe box here.
Ghormeh Sabzi is one of those dishes whose name says precisely what it is. Ghormeh in Farsi means stew and sabzi, herbs. The verdant stew is packed with greens, made hearty by the addition of meat and beans and brightened with aromatic black Persian lemons. While it’s wonderful year round, it’s perhaps best as winter’s chill starts to set in.
Growing up in Holon, Ayala Hodak’s mother Yafa (born: Maheen) Saadia made the stew on Friday nights and holidays. Her recipe, which uses beef and black eyed peas, is influenced by the two women who taught her to cook, Ayala explains. When she was very young, that was her mother, who lived in Tehran. And, when she was older, in Israel, it was her mother-in-law Dalia. (Read more about her story here).
“When she met my father and got married, there were things that she remembered,” from her mother’s cooking, Ayala explains. Spending time in the kitchen with Dalia “brought other memories,” and recipes, that Ayala grew up with. She brought this one with her when she moved to the United States almost 20 years ago and continues to make it on occasion for her family in New Jersey.
