Dolmeh-yeh Baadenjaan

Ingredients: (4 servings)

8 small eggplants

400 grams ground lamb or beef

100 grams of long-grain or basmati rice

2 medium onions, finely chopped

cooking oil

2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste

fresh lime juice, 3-4 teaspoons

sugar, 2-3 teaspoons

salt

black pepper

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/3 cup mint, finely chopped

1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped

1/3 cup garlic chives, finely chopped

1/3 cup tarragon, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.

Fry prepared vegetables in cooking oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly.

Peel eggplants and cut a circle at the tops, then remove insides without creating any holes at the sides or the end. Sprinkle some salt inside the eggplants. Mix prepared meat, vegetables and rice well. Fill the eggplants with the mix and close the tops.

Fry eggplants in cooking oil for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, then place in a pot side by side (avoid stacking them). Dissolve one teaspoon of tomato paste in a glass of hot water and add to eggplants. Add salt, black pepper, lime juice and sugar and simmer for 5-10 minutes until water boils off.


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Koofteh Berenji Iranian Meatballs with Rice

Ingredients: (6 servings)

Basmati or Long Grain Rice, 100 grams

Ground Beef or Lamb, 500 grams

Chick-pea Flour, 100 grams

Herbs (spring onion ends, parsley, common-dill, sweet-fennel, mint, tarragon), 500 grams

3 Eggs

Split-peas, 100 grams

3-4 onions

0.5 cup of cooking oil

2-3 spoons of turmeric (or tomato paste)

Salt

Black pepper

Barberries, 100 grams

Walnuts, 100 grams

Directions:

Koofteh-Berenji is a delicious ball of meat, rice and herbs with extra goodies inside. Cook rice in some water with a bit of salt until it softens, then filter out the water. Do the same to split-peas.

Mix rice, split-peas, chick-pea flour, meat, eggs, salt and pepper very well. Cut the herbs very finely and mix in with the rest. Chop the onions and fry in oil until golden. Save some of the fried onions. Add 5-6 glasses of water to the rest of the onions with a bit of salt, pepper and turmeric (or tomato paste) and bring to boil.

Make balls about the size of an orange from the mix, leaving a bit of barberries, walnuts and fried onions at the center. Place the balls in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes. Then continue cooking at low temperature until the koofteh is completely cooked. Make sure the container is not covered during cooking.