Persian Rice With Potato Serve With Chicken Fasenjan

Another Potato Ho Down exciting event, and I am

sending this entry to our Hillary @ chew on this blog, where she 

will be the host  for this month

This time I want to share my passion for Persian dishes. When I made this rice, my family was already waiting with plates in their hands, I felt so bad and couldn't concentrate to take photograph, so as you can see it is quite a simple looking rice, but I can assure you that taste so delicious that you almost don't need anything fancy to accompany this rice. 

I first learn to make this rice (with potato) years ago, when I met my sister's husband family. The parent are Iranian and the father is extremely a good cook. So, he always make this rice in every family gathering. He taught me how to make it and I've always use his recipe ever since . 

There is an article about Persian rice in New York Times that is very similar to my sister's father in law recipe. So I have include the link and if you like potato, simply substitute the pita bread with potato. Here is the link for  recipe from The Ny Times (the recipe for the rice will be on page 3)

Pomegranate are in season, and I am so happy that I have quite a few of these exotique fruits in my garden. 

Koresh-e fesenjan ba jujeh

(Pomegranate Khoresh With Chicken)

Recipe adapted from:

New Food Of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian

Cooking and Ceremonies

Written by:

Najmieh Batmanglij

Ingredients:

2 large onion, thinly sliced

2 pounds chicken leg

3 tbs oil or butter 

2 cup shelled walnut, finely ground

2 tbs sugar

1/4 tsp ground saffron, dissolve with 1 tbs hot water

1 cup chopped butternut squash

1/2 cup pomegranate paste, dissolve in 1  1/2 cup water, 

or 2  1/2 cup fresh squeezed pomegranate juice

salt, to taste

2 tbs fresh pomegranate seeds

• Brown the onion and the chicken in a dutch oven, add the diluted pomegranate paste. Add the ground walnut, sugar, saffron, and butternut squash. Stir to coat all ingredients. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour to 1  1/2 hours. Stirring from time to time to prevent the nuts from burning. Add water if necessary or if you find that the juice is too thick.

• Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh pomegranate. Serve with rice.

I picked one to garnish this delicious Chicken fahsenjan. I also like to sprinkle it in my salad. 

My husband and my son, they both love to eat it just like that.

And, oh I think I made the 

perfect dessert to complete this meal.