food & dining
A Persian Purim Menu
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D uring childhood, when many of us ate hamantaschen and dressed in
costumes at Purim, we learned the story of Queen Esther, a nice Jewish
girl from ancient Persia.

Her uncle Mordecai implored Esther to enter a contest run by the king of Persia,
who was selecting a wife. The king chose lovely-looking Esther for his bride.

Because Mordecai knew that Haman, the king’s trusted adviser, was plotting to
annihilate the Jews of Persia, he had intentionally steered his niece into this piv-
otal position. When she revealed Haman’s wicked plot, the king hanged Haman
and spared the Jews.

Celebrations have ensued ever since, and menus have varied among Sephardi
and Ashkenazi Jews.

Although Queen Esther may be a fictional character, Jews actually lived in
the Persian Empire, mostly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran, the mod-
ern successor state of ancient Persia. Jews trace their heritage in Iran to the
Babylonian exile of the Sixth century B.C.E. The Purim story dates to the Fourth
century B.C.E., some two hundred years later.

Because the Purim story takes place in ancient Persia, it is fitting to celebrate
the holiday by eating Persian food. The Jewish cuisine that evolved from ancient
Persia is iconic. Seasoned with cardamom, turmeric, cumin, oregano and other
spices, these foods fill kitchens with intoxicating scents. Typical dishes entail
combinations of meat and rice.

Because conditions for Jews in this part of the world are harsh, the Jewish pop-
ulation there is dwindling. Today, the vast majority of Persian Jews live in Israel
and the United States, mostly in California and Long Island but also in Baltimore
and the Twin Cities.

By cooking and eating their foods this Purim, you are in for a treat but also
keeping the memory of their presence in Persia alive.

Shorba Bi Djaj (Iraqi Chicken
Soup) | Meat
Serves 6
This soup is so beloved by Iraqi Jews,
it is often called simply shorba, mean-
ing soup. Although rice makes this
soup appear milky, it contains no dairy.

¾ cup jasmine rice
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more,
if needed
Freshly ground black pepper to
taste ½ teaspoon each: turmeric,
cardamom and cumin
4 chicken thighs, with bones and
skin 10 cups chicken broth
Fill a bowl with cold water. Submerge
the rice, and soak it for 90 minutes.

Drain it in a fine sieve. Reserve.

Dice both the onion and garlic,
28 then chop them finely. In a large,
deep nonstick stockpot, heat the
oil on a medium-low flame. Add the
onion and garlic and stir. Sprinkle
in the salt, pepper, turmeric, carda-
mom and cumin. Mix until combined.

Sauté until the onions soften and the
mixture is fragrant.

Add the chicken thighs, rice and
chicken broth. Bring it to a rolling
simmer on a medium-low flame for
2-3 hours. Stir the broth often to
make sure the rice isn’t sticking to
the pot. Reduce the flame if the liq-
uid is absorbing too quickly. Taste
and add more salt, if needed.

Shorba is ready when the rice
has absorbed so much broth that it
expands, appearing as if the soup is
made with cream.

Cool the soup briefly until it is safe
to remove the chicken without burn-
ing yourself. Using a slotted spoon
utensil, move the thighs to a plate
for 5-10 minutes. Remove and dis-
card the skin and bones. Shred the
chicken and return it to the soup. Stir
MARCH 10, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
LINDA MOREL
to combine, and heat it briefly. Serve
immediately. Khoresh Bademjoon
(Persian Lamb Stew) | Meat
Serves 6
Among Iranian Jews, this stew has
become the signature dish at Friday
night Shabbat dinners, crossing
borders and spanning decades.

Ironically, khoresh was an everyday
dish back in Iran.

1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
3 baby eggplants
6 plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus 2
tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
3 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of
fat and cut into stew meat cubes
Kosher salt to taste, at least 1
teaspoon added a little at a time
1 teaspoon each: ground turmeric,
cumin and oregano
2 cups chicken broth
Juice of 2 lemons
Accompaniment: jasmine rice, below
Peel and chop the onion and garlic.

Reserve it in a small bowl. Peel the
eggplants. Dice the eggplants and
tomatoes. Reserve them in a medi-
um-sized bowl.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil
into a large deep pot and heat it
over a medium flame. Add the lamb
and sprinkle it with some salt. Brown
the lamb on all sides. Add more
oil, if needed. Move the lamb to a
plate, and cover it with aluminum foil.

Reserve. Discard the oil from the pot.

Wipe it clean with a paper towel.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into the
same pot. Add the onion, garlic and
a sprinkle of salt. Sauté until wilted.

Add the eggplants and tomatoes,
plus an additional 2 tablespoons
of oil and sauté. Add the turmeric,
cumin, oregano and more salt, if
needed. Stir to combine.

When the veggies sweat and
begin to emit a sauce, add the lamb,
chicken broth and lemon juice. The
ingredients should be submerged by
two inches. If not, add enough water
or more chicken broth to achieve that.

Cover the pot, and simmer for 1
hour or until the liquid reduces from
soupy to stew-like. During cooking,
test it to see if there’s enough salt
and add more, if needed. Serve it
with jasmine rice.

Jasmine Rice | Pareve
Serves 6
In Persian cuisine, rice is often
placed around the edges of platters,
surrounding the main course in the
middle. 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup jasmine rice
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Heat the oil in a medium-large
pot over a medium flame. Pour in
the rice, and stir to coat each grain.

Sprinkle on salt. Heat for 1-2 minutes
until the rice looks translucent. Add
2½ cups of water and stir again.

Cover the pot with a lid, and reduce
the flame to low.

Check every 5-10 minutes to make
sure the water isn’t boiling away. If