The Jewel of Persia Rich Iranian cuisine featured at UMaine event

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The soul of Persian culture lies in its rice.

Often, that soul drapes itself in rubies and emeralds, beckoning guests to taste the essence of an ancient, yet still vibrant culture.

Javaher Polo, or Jeweled Rice, was the centerpiece of a recent dinner of Iranian cuisine prepared by Lily Alavi of Bangor at the University of Maine. The rice gets its name from the red barberries and green pistachio nuts that are layered atop white and saffron rice.

Alavi, a native of Iran, prepared a dinner of Persian foods with the help of friends for a cultural exchange event at the Thomas Lynch University Club in Fogler Library sponsored by the Friends of the Library group. About 40 people attended the event that began with appetizers, including Kashke badanejan, or Yogurt and Eggplant Dip; Shirazi Salad and iced tea flavored with orange blossoms and fresh mint.

The main course included the Jeweled Rice, Eggplant and Zucchini Stew and Koresht Havij va Alu, a chicken stew made with prunes. Dessert included baklava and Yakh dar Behesht, which has two translations – Paradise Custard and Ice in Heaven.

No Persian table would be complete without nano paniro sabzikhordan – bread with fresh feta cheese, raw vegetables and herbs, according to Alavi. The feta is spread on the bread, then garnished with herbs and vegetables. It usually includes radishes, scallions, cilantro or coriander, and watercress with tarragon, mint and basil.

“It is always part of our table. Women are advised to eat feta cheese on bread every day so our husbands will not cheat on us,” said Alavi with a sly smile, citing an Iranian old wives’ tale. “I can’t imagine life without raw herbs.”

The national dish is rice and kabobs, often vegetables and meat roasted or grilled over an open fire. Fresh vegetables and herbs are used in almost every dish, with fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice included in many, she said. Alavi can buy most ingredients locally but must bring home to Bangor from Iran ingredients such as saffron and Persian allspice, which are very expensive in Maine, and barberries, which are not available at all.

Barberries or zereshk are small, red berries slightly larger than the Maine wild blueberry that grow on bushes in sandy soil. Too sour to eat raw, they are dried and frozen to retain their color. Barberries also are a valuable source of malic acid.

Alavi learned to cook watching her mother and prepares dishes from memory rather than recipes but enjoys preparing meals for the friends she has made since moving to Maine 10 years ago after her marriage to Bahman Baktiari, director of the university’s international affairs program in the political science department. The two met in Iran at an international conference, where Alavi was working as a translator.

She speaks English and French in addition to her native Persian. Although she has a master’s degree in French literature and still tutors a few students, Alavi recently changed careers. She now sells real estate with Singleton-Rollerson in Bangor.

The dinner drew members of the university community as well as other native Iranians. Janet Hooke attended with two women friends who live in the same apartment building that Alavi and Baktiari do.

“The Jeweled Rice is so beautiful,” said Hooke after the meal. “And the idea of eating a barberry – I think of them as growing on an ugly, prickly bush but they are so beautiful. Then, there was the dessert with rose water. The more I ate and tasted it, the more I liked it.”

Bachelor Kaveh Haghkerdar of Castine drove to Orono for the event. The Maine Maritime Academy professor and musician said that because he rarely cooks, he could not pass up an opportunity to taste his native fare.

“I know all these dishes,” he said after the meal, “but Lily’s presentation is just out of this world. I would say this was a typical Persian meal where the guests feel loved and respected.”

Shirazi Salad

diced tomatoes

diced cucumbers

chopped onions

chopped fresh parsley

chopped fresh mint

salt and pepper to taste

fresh lime and lemon juice to taste

Toss vegetable and greens together with enough olive oil to coat them. Add salt, pepper and juices. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve cold.

Yogurt and Eggplant Dip

Makes 4 servings

2 large or 3 small seedless eggplants

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

4 gloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup yogurt, drained in cheesecloth for 3 hours

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint

1/4 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash eggplants and prick in several places with a fork to prevent bursting. Place whole eggplants on oven rack and bake for 1 hour. Place a tray under the eggplant. Remove eggplant from oven, let cool, then peel and mash.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the onion and garlic until golden. Add the eggplant and mix well. Cover and cook for five minutes over low heat. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a serving dish, mix with yogurt and garnish with mint, saffron water and walnuts.

Place the eggplant dish on a platter. Cut up bread and arrange around the dish on the platter.

Jeweled Rice

Makes 6 servings

3 cups long-grain basmati rice

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 cup finely slivered Seville orange peel

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 cup sugar

1 cup dried barberries, cleaned, washed and drained

1/2 cup clarified butter or oil

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 teaspoon Persian allspice

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

2 tablespoons slivered pistachios

Clean and wash 3 cups of rice five times in warm water. Place the slivered orange peel in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then drain to remove bitter taste. Place the orange peel, carrot strips, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Clean barberries by removing their stems and placing the berries in colander. Place colander in a large container full of cold water and allow barberries to soak for 20 minutes. The sand will settle to the bottom. Take the colander out of the container and run cold water over the barberries; drain and set aside.

Fry the sliced onion in 2 tablespoons butter, add drained barberries and raisins, and cook for just 1 minute because barberries burn very easily. Remove from heat and set aside.

Brings 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large, nonstick pot. Pour the washed and drained rice into the pot. Boil briskly for 6 to 10 minutes, gently stirring twice to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom. Bite a few grains of rice. If the rice feels soft, it is ready to be drained. Drain rice in a large, fine-mesh colander and rinse in 2 or 3 cups lukewarm water.

In the same pot heat 4 tablespoons butter. In a bowl, mix 2 spatulas of rice, the yogurt and a few drops of saffron water and spread the mixture over the bottom of pot to form a tender crust or tahdig. Place 2 spatulas full of rice in the pot, then add 1 spatula of orange peel and carrot.

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon Persian allspice over the rice. Repeat these steps, arranging the rice and orange-carrot mixture in layers in the shape of a pyramid. This shape allows room for the rice to expand and enlarge. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon Persian allspice over the rice. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Mix the rest of the melted butter, saffron water, and 1/4 cup water and pour over the pyramid. Place a clean dish towel or paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with the lid to prevent steam from escaping. Cook for 50 minutes over low heat. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a damp surface, without uncovering it, to free crust from the bottom of the pot. Remove lid and take out 2 tablespoons of saffron-flavored rice and set aside for use as garnish. Then, gently taking 1 spatula full of rice at a time, place rice on a serving platter in alternating layers with the barberry mixture. Mound the rice in the shape of a cone.

Finally, decorate the top of the mound with the saffron-flavored rice, some of the barberry mixture and the almonds and pistachios. Detach the crust from the bottom of the pot using a wooden spatula. Unmold onto a small platter and serve on the side as Nushe Jan, a crusty rice.

Carrot and Prune Stew

Makes 6 servings

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 pounds chicken thighs and breasts or 1 pound stew beef

1/2 cup oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 pound shredded carrots

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups pitted prunes or golden plums

Brown the onions, meat or chicken in three tablespoons oil. Add salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon saffron water. Pour in water (1 1/2 cups for beef, 1/2 cup for chicken) and let it simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for beef and 40 minutes for chicken. Add the prunes or plums and let it simmer for another hour.

Meanwhile, saute the carrots and when they are well sauteed add the rest of the saffron and the lime juice, tomato paste and broth. Let it simmer for another hour or until the carrots are tender. Transfer the stew to a deep serving dish and place carrots around it.

Paradise Custard

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup rose water

5 cups milk

4 cups water

1/3 cup slivered pistachios or 1 teaspoon ground pistachios

Dissolve the cornstarch in 4 cups cold water. Dissolve the rice flour in cold milk. Then, mix them and pour into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stiffing until the mixture has thickened.

Add the rose water and sugar and cook for a few more minutes until mixture reaches the consistency of pudding, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and lumping. Remove saucepan from heat.

Transfer custard to a serving dish or 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Decorate with slivered or ground pistachios. Chill the custard for about 2 hours or until set. Serve cold.