PERSIAN LAMB SHANKS FOR EASTER OR NOWRUZ

Celebrate Easter with a delicious oriental dish: Baghali Polo ba Mahiche – Braised Lamb Shanks with Dill Rice and Fava Beans. This dish consists of slow cooked lamb shanks infused with Advieh Khoresti spices, served alongside fragrant dill rice and fava beans. The blend of coriander, aniseed, dried rose petals, saffron, nutmeg, pepper, and cumin (Advieh Khoreshti) creates a festive flavor perfect for Easter or Nowruz.

While not excessively laborious, this dish does require patience as the lamb shanks simmer for at least 2-3 hours until they are tender and almost falling off the bone. To ensure availability, please order lamb shanks in advance from your butcher. This slow braising process guarantees a melt-in-your-mouth experience. Take advantage of the simmering time to prepare your starter and dessert for a complete and satisfying Easter feast.

Watch preparationsvideo on Instagram

LAMB RECIPES FROM PERSIAN CUISINE

Indulge in the exquisite flavors of Persian cuisine with these tantalizing lamb recipes to impress your family and guests alike.

Abgoosht/DIZI – Persischer Lammeintopf

Khoresht-e Beh – Persisches Lamm-Quitten-Ragout mit Spalterbsen und getrockneten Limetten

Khoresht-e Gheymeh – Persisches Lammragout mit getrockneten Limetten und Spalterbsen

Naan-Pizza mit ofengeröstetem Tomaten-Humus, Lammhackfleisch und Kräutersalsa 

Albaloo Polo – Bunter Sauerkirschreis mit Lamm-Hackbällchen

Khoresht-e Bademjan – persischer Lamm-Auberginen-Eintopf mit Versus

Estamboli Polo – persischer Reiskuchen mit Lammfleisch und grüne Bohnen

Khoresht-e Fesenjan – Lammschmorgericht in einer Granatapfel-Walnuss-Soße

SACRIFICIAL RITUALS IN IRAN

In my family, we followed a tradition of sacrificing a lamb to express gratitude for big purchases like a new house or a car. We would distribute the lamb into three equal parts: one-third for the poor and needy, another third for friends, relatives, and neighbors, and the final third for ourselves. This practice instilled in me from a young age that having a home, a car, or enough food is not something to be taken for granted.

During special occasions, regardless of whether they were joyous or sorrowful, we followed a tradition called Nazri, where we would distribute particular dishes to the needy. This custom instilled in me the values of gratitude and compassion, which were passed down to me by my parents and were a part of the Iranian tradition. Every day, I am grateful for the little things and the big things in life, which bring me a sense of richness, happiness, and peace of mind.

BLANCH FROZEN FAVA BEANS

If you’re looking to save some time and effort while preparing fava beans, you can find frozen ones at Turkish or Persian grocery stores. Here’s a simple guide on how to cook them: Begin by filling a bowl with cold water and adding some ice cubes. In a large pot, bring water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the frozen fava beans to the pot and let them cook for 1 minute. Next, remove them quickly from the pot using a slotted ladle and transfer them to the cold water bath for about 3 minutes. Finally, drain the fava beans well in a sieve and set them aside for use in your recipe.

INGREDIENTS MAHICHE – BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

4 lamb shanks

1 large onion

1 tsp turmeric*

1 tbsp Advieh Khoreshti or

INGREDIENTS ADVIEH KHORESHTI SPICE MIXTURE

(or 1 tsp each coriander*, star anise*, tsp dried rose petals*,

1/2 tsp saffron threads*, 1/2 tsp nutmeg*, 1/2 tsp pepper*,

1/4 tsp cumin*)

INGREDIENTS DILL RICE WITH FAVA BEANS

500 g Basmati rice*

500 g dill

500 g fava beans, frozen

1 tsp saffron threads*

1 tbsp ghee*

PREPARATION MAHICHE – BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Wash the lamb shanks and dry them well.

Peel the onion and cut it into eighths.

Fry the onion lightly in a large pan with oil until golden.

Sprinkle with turmeric.

Place the lamb shanks on top of the onion, sprinkle with saffron and advieh.

Close the lid tightly and fry strongly for 5 minutes, then deglaze with 500 ml boiling water, and reduce the heat. Add salt, pepper, cover and simmer for 2 -3 hours.

Only add a bit of boiling water if necessary.

PREPARATION DILLRICE AND FAVA BEANS

PREPARATION OF RICE

Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear and soak in a bowl of water with 1 teaspoon of salt for half an hour.

CHOP THE DILL

In the meantime, remove the dill from the stalk, wash and drain well in a sieve. Dry the dill well using a tea towel, chop roughly with a large kitchen knife, and grate finely.

PREPARATION INFUSED SAFFRON

Grind the saffron in a mortar and brew with 25 ml boiling water, stir well, cover with a small plate, and set aside.

BLANCH FAVA BEANS

Prepare a bowl with cold water and some ice cubes. Boil water with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan. As soon as the water boils, place the frozen lava beans in the saucepan for 1 minute, then quickly remove them with a slotted ladle and soak them in the cold water bath for about 3 minutes. Strain well in a sieve, and set aside.

COOK DILL RICE

In a large saucepan, bring 3 liters of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. In the meantime, drain the pre-washed rice in a sieve. As soon as the water boils, add the rice and cook for about 5-7 minutes until al dente. Add the dill and mix well to combine the rice and dill. Drain the dill rice in a sieve.

PREPARE TAHDIG

To prepare tahdig, place a non-stick pot on the stove. Add half of the ghee or butter-oil mixture and 80 ml of boiling water, then let it boil. Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons of infused saffron and stir well. Arrange some Dill Rice at the bottom of the pot until it’s completely covered and stir well.

LAYERING DILL RICE AND FAVA BEANS

Continue by layering dill rice and fava beans. Shape the mixture into a pyramid and spread the remaining ghee or butter-oil mixture over the rice. Next, make five holes in the rice pyramid using the handle of a wooden spoon, down to the bottom of the pot. After that, wrap the lid of the pot in a clean tea towel, close it tightly, and do not open it until the end of the cooking time. Lastly, turn the heat to the lowest setting to ensure that the dill rice only steams. After approximately 60 minutes, your dill rice and fava beans will be ready with a crispy Tah Dig. Alternatively, you can follow the same procedure in a rice cooker*.

PREPARE SAFFRON RICE

Remove a large ladle of dill rice and fava beans from the pan and mix with the remaining infused saffron, right before serving. Add on top of your serving plate as an eye-catcher.