Yalda Nighttime (Winter Solstice) 2015 As Well As Shami Haveej - Carrot Shami Kabab Amongst Sweetness & Sour Love Apple Tree Sauce

شب چله/شب یلدا Shab-e Yalda/Shab-e Chelleh, the ancient Western Farsi celebration of the longest night, dates dorsum thousands of years agone to the nativity of میترا Mithra the god of lite who was born on the even out of yalda (winter solstice). After the longest dark of the twelvemonth the days volition gradually larn longer symbolizing the victory of lite over darkness. The word یلدا yalda way nativity in سریانی Syriac linguistic communication as well as for Iranians, the even out of yalda is a fourth dimension for joyful celebration filled with poetry, music, as well as delicious food.  For me, celebrating the Iranian festival of lite is a meaningful جشن jashn (festivity) perchance because it was ever celebrated inward our habitation growing upwardly inward Iran. The dark of yalda is a fourth dimension to reverberate as well as appreciate how our ancestors kept this tradition live for several millennia. Looking at our history, I tin alone imagine how many of those shab-e yalda gatherings took identify with uncertainties, unrest, battles as well as frightening dark times. However, they did non succumb to the madness of their times as well as held on to the belief that lite volition prevail over darkness. It inspires us to lite the candles on this night, serve the traditional wintertime fruits, nuts as well as sweets, read poetry, part happy memories as well as function yesteryear on the tradition to futurity generations.

Almost all of the dried tumble leaves inward my yard direct maintain been raked as well as the grill cleaned as well as set away for the season. I'm going to immature lady the whole sense of outdoor cooking -- the gustatory modality as well as the olfactory belongings of nutrient cooked on an opened upwardly burn outside. Perhaps on ane or 2 occasions I'll brave the mutual coldness as well as clitoris out the grill from nether the plastic covers as well as brand or as well as thus koobideh. kotlet, shami as well as kabab deegi are stove top alternatives to grilled kababs although they tin live cooked whatsoever fourth dimension of twelvemonth regardless of the season.

 شامی هویج (Carrot shami) is a favorite inward our home. This shami kabab is made with chickpea flour or y'all tin purpose mashed cooked chickpeas equally well. Chickpea flour adds a nutty flavor to these meat patties as well as the shredded carrots add together a fiddling sweetness. This recipe tin also live made with زردک zardak (parsnip) instead of carrots. Carrot shami may live simmered inward a sweetness as well as sour tomato plant sauce dressing as well as it's best served with rice. You tin also add together a handful of finely chopped herbs to the meat mixture for extra flavor as well as aroma.

Shami Haveej- Carrot Shami

Ingredients:
Makes nearly xvi patties

1 1/2 pounds reason beef, lamb or turkey
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
iii tablespoons chickpea flour
1 large yellowish onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
iii eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon
1 teaspoon tabular array salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dark pepper or to taste
Oil for frying

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato plant paste
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt as well as pepper to taste
Water


Method:

• In a large bowl combine meat, carrots, chickpea flour, onion, garlic, eggs, turmeric, cinnamon, tabular array salt as well as pepper. Mix thoroughly until good blended. 
• In a non-stick skillet or a cast-iron skillet oestrus iii tablespoons of crude over medium heat.
• Take a handful of the meat mixture, kind into a small-scale ball, flatten it equally the size of your palm as well as brand a hole inward the pump with your finger. You tin also brand oval shaped patties. 
• Fry the patties until the meat is nicely browned on both sides.
• In a large skillet oestrus 2 tablespoons of vegetable crude over medium heat. Add the onions, saute until soft as well as golden. 
• Add the tomato plant glue as well as saute for a duo of minutes. 
• Add 2 cups of water, pomegranate molasses, sugar, tabular array salt as well as pepper to taste.  Stir good as well as convey to a boil. Lower the heat, layer the shami kababs inward the skillet. Cover as well as simmer on depression oestrus for 15-20 minutes, 

Serve warm or at room temperature with sabzi khordan, torshi, mast o khiar, as well as polow.

P.S. I'd similar to direct maintain a 2d hither to nation it's my vii twelvemonth weblog anniversary as well as I would similar to limited many cheers as well as my deepest gratitude to my faithful readers as well as welcome to the novel readers!

A collage of  past Yalda nights

Happy Shab-e Yalda! Happy Winter Solstice!

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