Kalam Polow Shirazi - Shirazi Rice with Meatballs, Herbs and Kohlrabi Fries
Ingredients:
Serves 6
2 cups long grain rice
1 pound ground beef
3-4 medium kohlrabi (kalam ghomri), peeled and sliced into french-fry strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch of fresh basil (raihan), chopped
1 large bunch of fresh tarragon (tarkhoon), chopped
1 bunch of fresh مرزه marzeh (savory), chopped, I couldn't find it fresh so I used 1/3 cup dried savory
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chickpea flour (optional)
A pinch of red pepper
A pinch of cumin powder (zireh)
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of cumin powder (zireh)
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Method:
Meatballs
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the ground beef, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, mixing well. Shape into small meatballs.
- In a frying pan, heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil and saute sliced onions over medium heat until golden brown, add turmeric, a pinch of red pepper and cumin, stir well. Place meatballs in the pan, spread them out and brown on all sides. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs over the meatballs, reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Herb Mixture
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and lightly saute the herbs together over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, just enough for the flavors to come together. Don't fry these herbs and, if you prefer, you can skip this step altogether and layer the rice with chopped fresh herbs.
Kohlrabi Fries
- In a large frying pan, heat 5-7 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat. Add the kohlrabi fries and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning them a few times until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle salt to taste. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like.
Rice:
- Wash rice with cool water a few times and soak rice in 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoons for a couple of hours.
- In a large pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil on high heat . Drain rice and gently pour into the boiling water. Bring water back to boil for 7 minutes. Test the rice to see if it's done -- rice grains should be soft on the outside and firm on the inside. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Clean out the pot and return to the stove, add 4 tablespoons oil to the pot on medium to high heat. With a spatula, place rice in the pot, layer it with herbs, meatballs and some of the fries, building it into a pyramid shape. Make 3-4 holes in the rice to let the steam out. Cook for about ten minutes or until the steam starts to come out, pour 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of water over the rice, lower the heat, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Serve rice on a platter, top with the rest of the kohlrabi fries and garnish with chopped fresh herbs. It may be served with yogurt, salad, pickles (eggplant torshi).
Enjoy!