Recipes – Salamati

Salamati SHIRAZI SALAD

Everyone in Iran knows this salad, named after Shiraz, a southern city near the Persian Gulf. The ingredients are very simple; the art is all in the cutting. It’s important to cut the dice very small and very evenly and, for that reason, all the ingredients have to be crisp and firm. The dressing is nice and tart with the great combination of dried mint and sumac. Shirazi salad is usually made just before serving, but the leftovers are actually really nice because the flavours all meld and the liquid from the vegetables adds to the dressing. The salad dressing makes a lot, and it’s traditional to drink the dressing at the end of the meal. We serve Shirazi salad with pilafs and lamb dishes, such as ghormeh sabzi or gheymeh bademjan.

PREP TIME 20 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large tomatoes, cut into small dice • 3 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, cut into small dice • 1 large red onion, cut into small dice • Pomegranate jewels, to serve SHIRAZI SALAD DRESSING

• 1 cup (250ml) verjuice or freshly squeezed lemon juice • ½ cup (125ml) olive oil • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons dried mint • 1 teaspoon ground sumac

1 To make the Shirazi salad dressing, combine the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake to combine.

2 Arrange the tomato, cucumber and red onion in a serving bowl, pour over the salad dressing and toss through. Scatter pomegranate jewels over the top and serve.

Salamati by Hamed Allahyari with Dani Valent. Photography by Armelle Habib. Murdoch Books RRP $45.

Salamati BASTANI SONNATI

You can make this traditional Persian ice cream from scratch but the easy way to do it is to buy vanilla ice cream and add the Persian ingredients. I do this in my shop because I don’t have an ice cream maker so you definitely have permission to do it at home!

PREP TIME 10 MINS + 6 HOURS FREEZING TIME SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (250ml) thickened (whipping) cream • 2 litres creamy vanilla ice cream (pistachio ice cream also works well) • 1 cup (130g) chopped pistachio kernels, plus extra to serve (optional) • 2 tablespoons Saffron Liquid • 2 tablespoons rosewater • Edible dried rose petals, to serve

1 Pour the cream into a 30 x 20cm baking dish, then set aside in the freezer for 2 hours.

2 Remove the frozen cream from the freezer and cut it into 2 cm squares (it will shatter, so your squares won’t be even, but this is fine). Return the cream blocks to the freezer.

3 Allow the vanilla ice cream to stand in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to soften slightly, then add the pistachios, saffron liquid, rosewater and cream blocks and stir through until well combined. Return the ice cream to the freezer for 1–2 hours until firm.

4 Spoon the ice cream into bowls and top with rose petals and a few extra pistachios, if you like. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Grind the saffron and sugar using a mortar and pestle, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and stir through the boiling water to bleed the colour. Set aside for 5 minutes.

SAFFRON LIQUID

MAKES ¼ CUP (60ml)

INGREDIENTS

• 1g saffron threads • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar • ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water

Salamati FETA OMELETTE

My father used to make this omelette for me, but I have to admit I didn’t like it much when I was younger. Now, in Australia, my tastes have grown up a bit and I love it. I’m not the only one! This is the number-one breakfast in my cafe.

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOK TIME 5 MINS | SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 eggs • 2/3 cup (100g) sheep’s feta, crumbled • Freshly ground black pepper • 1 tablespoon nigella seeds • Noon Lavash or store-bought Persian or

Lebanese flatbread, to serve • Sabzi Khordan, to serve

1 Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over low heat. Add the eggs and half the feta, then, using a spoon, gently separate the yolks from the whites and push the yolks to one side of the pan. Stir together the egg whites and feta and cook for 1 minute. Spoon the yolks on top of the cheesy egg white, then gently swirl them over the mixture and briefly cook until they are heated through but still a little runny. Scatter the remaining feta on top and remove from the heat. Season with black pepper.

2 Either serve the omelette in the pan or transfer to a plate. Scatter the nigella seeds over the top and serve with flatbread and sabzi khordan on the side.

1 Score a cross into the top half of each radish.

2 Clean any dirt from the herbs, then soak all of the ingredients in a large bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Drain, then rinse and set aside to completely dry.

3 Roughly chop the herbs and spring onions into 4cm lengths, then store the herbs, spring onion (if using) and radishes, loosely wrapped in paper towel in a plastic bag in the fridge, for 2–3 days.

4 Enjoy sabzi khordan with your meal or wrap with feta in Persian flatbread for a tasty lunch.

SABZI KHORDAN

• 1 bunch radishes • 1 bunch mint, leaves picked • 1 bunch basil, leaves picked • 1 bunch dill • 1 bunch garlic chives • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks • 1 bunch coriander (cilantro), leaves and stalks • 1 bunch watercress (optional) • 1 bunch spring onions (scallions) (optional)