Cooking Persian rice is an Art. Rice is an integral part of the Persian cuisine, in fact being the national dish.  There are many variations of how to cook the rice; Parboiled, Chelow, Polow (Pilaf) and biryani style.  In this recipe, I will share with you the secret of mastering the art of cooking Persian pilaf in the time-honored tradition.  This pilaf recipe celebrates the subtle flavours of spices and saffron and is served with your desired stew or curry. So remember mastering this art requires patience, care and practice.   Ingredients - 1.5 cup Long Grain Sella Basmati rice +1.5 cup water - 2-3 tbsp Persian Ghee - 3 Green Cardamom (bruised) - 2 Black cardamom pods - 1 ceylon cinnamon stick - Good Pinch of Persian Sargol Saffron - Good Pinch of Persian Dried Mint   Method 1. Combine all of the above in a heavy non-stick pot and cover. 2. Bring to rapid boil on high heat for 10mins. stir occasionally. 3. Turn heat to Medium until 90% of water is absorbed. then cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is well cooked and fluffy. This simple pilaf recipe can be enjoyed with many seasonal vegetables and produce. Don't forget to serve it with generous dollop of natural yoghurt.

Pomegranate Tabbouleh Pomegranate Tabbouleh is an essential side dish of Middle Eastern Cuisines. Mainly originating from Palestine, Lebanon & Syria. In this recipe I will show you how to use different layers of fresh garden herbs nd spice mixes to create a satisfying and suitable for any occasion side dish. Ingredients 1/2 cup of course cracked Bulgar soaked in warm water 1 tablespoon of Baharat spice mix ADD TO CART 1 heaped tablespoon of freshly ground all spice  ADD TO CART 1 tsp of freshly ground cumin ADD TO CART 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper  ADD TO CART 80ml of good quality olive oil (peppery and fruity flavour) 1 clove of garlic crushed (optional) salt and pepper 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 large bunch of parsley - discard the rough stalks -- roughly chopped 1 bunch of fresh mint - pick the leaves - roughly chopped 3-4 stem of fresh dill  - roughly chopped 2-3 stem of fresh coriander - roughly chopped 3 ripe Roma Tomato - deseeded and roughly chopped 1 large Lebanese cucumber - roughly chopped 1 red onion - finely sliced 1 pomegranate - deseeded Method Prepare the ingredients above. Fluff the Bulgar with some of the olive oil once the water is completely absorbed. Mix the dry spices, salt, lemon juice and olive oil in a separate bowl. Add the freshly chopped herbs, Bulgar, cucumber, onion, tomato & pomegranate seeds to a large serving bowl. Drizzle the olive oil mixture and gently toss the ingredients to combine well. Handy Tips Don't bruise the leaves during chopping and mixing. Mix well the olive oil with lemon juice and spices Delicious served with warm Turkish or flat bread. Serve on top of kebab or grilled meat. Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!)  

Pork Belly Pintox Pork Belly Pintox is a dish inspired by tantalizing Spanish tapas. This recipe is a fusion of Spanish and Asian flavours. The pork belly is marinated overnight in the classic basque specialty spice mix and then glazed with sweet and sour fruity paste. Serve this dish with steamed greens vegetables like broccoli and carrot. Ingredients 500g of free range pork belly 25g of Pintox spice mix ADD TO CART 2 granny smith apple - cored and diced 1 quince - cored and diced 1 clove of garlic- finely chopped 100ml of sherry vinegar 75g coconut blossom sugar ADD TO CART salt and pepper lemon juice - to balance the sweet and vinegar flavor Freshly chopped coriander for garnish   Method Rub the pintox spice mix onto the meat side of the pork belly Marinade overnight in the fridge (note; don't cover the pork belly as this will help with drying out the skin and achieving crispy finish) Preheat the oven to 200C and roast pork belly for 30 minute at this temperature. Then reduce oven to 165C and roast for further 1 hour until the skin is crispy and pork is cooked In the meanwhile, prepare the glazing sauce by adding all other ingredients (apple, quince, garlic, vinegar & sugar) to a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and then cover and cook for further 10-15 minutes until the fruits are soft and flavors have come together. Blitz the fruit mixture until a homogeneous paste is achieved. Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice as required. Serve the pork belly on a bed of green and carrot vegetables. Then glaze the sauce all over the pork belly. Garnish with coriander. Serve and Enjoy. Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!)  

Chicken Mole Recipe Chicken mole is a delicious Mexican recipe using the most exotic and flavorsome combination of Mexican chilies in conjunction with dark chocolate and spices. Mole chicken is a festive dish of Mexico served at any special occasions, be it birthday, weeding or family get-together. It is fair to say that I am obsessed with Mexican cooking. Believe me, I am no expert at it, but just love experimenting. Last weekend, after visiting a modern contemporary Mexican bistro and sampling so many tasty finger-food style dishes accompanied with just one too many Mojito - I decided to make this recipe the next day! Serve this dish alongside freshly made guacamole, rice, bean, tortilla and tomato salsa. Happy Cooking! P.S this recipe feed 5-6 amigos. So adjust the ingredients to your requirement or freeze the extra. Ingredients - Chicken 2 kg chicken cut into serving pieces 1 onion - chopped 1 garlic - chopped Salt - seasoning Oil or lard Toasted white sesame seeds & fresh coriander to garnish Ingredients - Mole Sauce 6 Ancho chillies ADD TO CART 4 Pasilla chilliesADD TO CART 4 Mulato chillies  ADD TO CART 1 drained can of chipotle in adobo sauce - seeded and chopped ADD TO CART 2 onions -roughly chopped 2 garlic - roughly chopped 450g of tomato - peeled and cut into quarter 1 stale tortilla (or 1/2 piece of stale bread) - torn into pieces 50g sultanas 115g ground almond 50g white sesame seeds ADD TO CART 1/2tsp coriander powder ADD TO CART 1 tbsp of Ceylon cinnamon powder ADD TO CART 1 tsp of anise - ground ADD TO CART 1/2 tsp of black peppercorns whole ADD TO CART 4 tbsp of oil/lard 40g unsweetened bitter dark chocolate 25g soft brown sugar - you may need some extra 1 tsp of salt - extra salt of seasoning   Method Put chicken pieces into a saucepan large enough to hold them in one layer. Add onion, garlic and salt. Cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Remove the stalk and seed from all chilies. Tear the chili pods into pieces and soak in a small bowl of boiling water for 20 minutes until soft. The chilies should be covered with water. In a food processor, add the soaked chilies and 1/4 liquid along with all other ingredients. Process to a fine paste. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan with cover. Remove the chicken pieces from stock liquid and add to the pan. (remember the oil will be splattering, so have the lid nearby to cover immediately) Once the chicken pieces are lightly browned, remove from saucepan and set aside. To the same saucepan, add the homogenized mole paste with the remaining oil. Saute, whilst stirring, for 15 minutes until fragrant. Now add 475ml of chicken stock to the mixture. (make it up with water if necessary). Add chocolate, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until the chocolate is completely melted. Then stir in sugar and cook for further 5minutes. Add the chicken to the mole sauce ensuring it is immersed in the sauce. Cover and cook on low heat for another 30-45 minutes until all the flavors have come together and chicken is cooked. At the final stage, adjust the sugar and seasoning. Garnish with the fresh coriander and toasted sesame seeds. Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!)  

Asian Indian Pantry Spices The key to making wholesome and comforting curries starts with your ingredients. Spices are quintessential to cooking any Asian or Indian curry dishes. Okay - you may ask what brings this up?! well it all started last Sunday. Whenever I am overwhelmed with a task in hand, such as painting our house which is not the funnest job to do, I find myself doing the oddest clean-up ever! Last Sunday I decided to go through my huge pantry spices, re-jar, re-label and re-arrange. Whilst lovingly going through my collections, I remembered that once a customer asked me "what are the spices you could never do without?!" At that instant, all I could say was "Oh My God, I couldn't imaging not having ALL my spices... " With this memory flash whilst having a giggle or two to myself, it dawned on me that this question is quiet serious! Too serious in fact! Which one of these spices do I choose? How excruciating! After much deliberation I narrowed the collection to 50, 30 and finally 15 MUST-HAVE-SPICES. I tried really hard to narrow it down even further.. but I had to stop myself with all of this non-sense and finish off pantry clean-up and get back to what I really needed to do - painting our laundry which is three weeks going now! No discredit to all the other amazing spices out there - but here is my pick of the range. With this note; how is your pantry spice collection? How many could you forgo?   Asian and Indian Pantry Spices Turmeric Powder Cumin Seeds Whole Coriander Seeds Whole Cloves Whole Green Cardamom Whole Black Peppercorns Fennel Seeds Fenugreek Seeds Black Mustard seeds Garam Masala Curry Powder - single roasted and mild Saffron 1g Nutmeg Whole Nigella Seeds Ceylon Cinnamon 35g ADD TO CART Collection of these 15 spices packed in 50g quantity for only $44.95     Fresh Spices and bits and bobs you may need Onion Garlic Ginger Red and Green Chilli Ghee ADD TO CART Yoghurt Coconut flour ADD TO CART Besan flour ADD TO CART Curry Leaves ADD TO CART   Spicy Cooking Tips Roasting your wholes spices is an important first part of curry making. You will be amazed how this simple and quick process would make a difference to the overall flavours of the dish. Dry roasting is to wake up the spices by activating the essential oil. Heat a heavy based pan on medium heat Add your wholes spices - continuously stir to avoid burning the spices as it will make your curry bitter Remove from heat and remove from the pan to stop the roasting process

Tandoori Curry Recipe Tandoori curry recipe a classic Indian curry made the easy way. It is no surprise to anyone that I love Indian curry and above all I love playing around with different spices to create an awesome home-made curry. Although I don't like to brag about this....once in a while I also like to cheat my way through recipes... and with the busy week before the Easter break, my motivation for cooking was at its lowest yet I wasn't quiet prepared for a take out curry. Admittedly, the stock in my fridge wasn't inspiring either. Luckily, I had some dorper lamb meat, half a pumpkin and a jar of the Spice Library tandoori paste to make a fuss free curry. And this is how my cheat Tandoori Lamb Curry came to fruition. Serve this dish with a traditional Indian Bread (recipe here) Love to hear your thoughts... feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy! Watch the video Here   Ingredients 3 tbsp of the Spice Library Tandoori Paste ADD TO CART 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 2 tablespoon of Persian Ghee ADD TO CART 1 tsp of cooking salt – extra for seasoning 2 tomatoes – roughly chopped 1 red shallot – finely chopped 1 clove of garlic – minced 1 tsp of fresh ginger – minced 1 green chilli – roughly chopped 1 tsp of cumin seeds ADD TO CART 1tsp of fennel seeds ADD TO CART 1 cinnamon quill ADD TO CART 10 cloves ADD TO CART 10 peppercorns ADD TO CART 4 green cardamom pods ADD TO CART 1 cup of pumpkin and potato - roughly chopped 350g Lamb meat (you can substitute this with beef or chicken pieces if desired) Boiling water - enough to just cover the curry mixture Persian Cumin Rice - side dish ADD TO CART Method Heat Persian ghee and coconut oil in a heavy based non-stick pot (23cm-25cm diameter) over medium heat until starting to smoke. Add the whole spice seeds and fry whilst siring until fragrant. Add shallots, garlic, ginger and green chilies and fry to slightly brown. Stirring continuously allows for the flavors to evolve and bind together. Then add tomato and meat and salt. Stir well to combine. Saute for 10 -15 minutes. Then add Tandoori paste. Combine well and saute for further 10 minutes. Now stir through the vegetables. Followed by boiling water. Cover and cook for 60-90 minutes on low heat. The long cooking time will allows the dish to come together. Adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chilies and fresh shallots and herbs. Serve this dish with Persian Cumin Rice or traditional Indian Bread

Jordanian Beef Brisket with Saffron and Pistachio yoghurt Recipe Jordanian Spice Mix is a classic red meat spice mix. This spice mix combines the flavors of Cardamom, cloves, cumin, ginger, Cinnamon, pepper and a subtle touch of chilli powder. Ingredients - Spice mix marinade 1 kg beef brisket on bone 30g of Jordanian spice mix 1 tbsp of ginger - finely grated 2 garlic - crushed 2 tbsp Salt 2 tbsp of lemon juice Oil Ingredients - Yogurt mixture 1/2 tsp of saffron thread- brewed in 1/2 cup of boiling water ADD TO CART 2 tbsp of pistachio 185g plain yogurt 2 tbsp of blanched almonds 3 tbsp of pure honey   Method Make short deep slits over the beef brisket. Combine all the ingredients from spice mix marinade and rub all over the beef. In a food processor - pure the yogurt mixture. Spoon the pure over the spiced beef. Cover and marinade in the fridge for at least 24 hours to 48 hours. Preheat the oven to 170C. Place the marinated beef with juices in a casserole dish along with 1cup of boiling water. Cook for 2-3 hours until the meat falls apart. Once cooked, with a fork pull the meat apart. Serve alongside to hummus and tabbouleh.

Punjabi Leavened Bread Punjabi Leavened Bread especially enjoyed in Punjab in north-west India and Pakistan, is cooked in a traditional coal or wood-fired clay oven called a tandoor. This delicious bread, enriched with milk, yoghurt and butter, is slapped onto the inner walls of the hot oven where they cook quickly, partially puffing, and taking on a smoky flavour. For a conventional western kitchen, baking this recipe in the oven at 200 C also makes a delightful Indian bread with a crisp textured crust. Serve alongside my tandoori recipe for a satisfying Indian home-cooking. Happy Baking! Ingredients 2 tsp of dried yeast - soaked in 60ml of lukewarm water 3 tsp sugar 70g natural plain yoghurt 1 egg - beaten 60ml of melted Persian Ghee -some extra for brushing ADD TO CART 2tsp salt 525g plain flour - extra for the board and kneading 2 tbsp of Nigella seeds ADD TO CART   Method Add 1 tsp of sugar to the dissolved yeast.  The yeast mixture should start to froth. Beat yoghurt and egg in a bowl until smooth. Then incorporate the ghee, salt, the yeast mixture and 110 ml of warm water. Mix well. In a stainless steel/ glass mixing bowl, put 300g of the plain flour making a well in the centre. Add the yoghurt mixture and whisk with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter. Now add the remaining flour gradually until the dough is too stiff to stir with a wooden spoon. Using your hand continue kneading for 10-15 minutes - add extra flour if required. The dough should be smooth. Roll into a ball and cover the whole bowl with a few layers of tea towels. This is necessary for rising of the dough in a warm environment. Leave in warm place for at least an hour until the dough has doubled in size and when pressed with a finger, it leave an impression. Preheat the oven to 200C, put the baking tray in the oven to preheat. Knock back the dough and divide into 8 balls. Rest for 10 minutes. Pat the dough into circles, keeping thin in the centre. Now pull one end of the dough to form a teardrop shape. Brush the dough with melted ghee and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Bake on preheated trays for 5-7 minutes until puffed and golden crusty. Serve warm with lamb tandoori (recipe here) Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!) *** Cooking Tips *** If your yeast mixture doesnot froth it means your culture is not alive - discard and start again

Goan Pork Curry I absolutely love hearty comfort food in winter. A good curry makes everything okay and today calls for a comforting Goan pork curry. A lot has been happening.... we have sent off our first order to a Netherland gourmet store...... My team and I have been busy shipping off our online orders across Australia including regional Australia and New Zealand.... And on a personal note; It’s been two long months of house renovation with no where near finishing. The rain definitely doesn’t help leading to more delays. Frankly it has been much joy cooking out of boxes....but I keep telling myself it will be all worth it at the end. Back to important recipe sharing : This curry recipe is an accidental invention or should I say Experimentation.... And this surprisingly delicious curry is definitely worth sharing with you. Enjoy creating, sharing and indulging!   Ingredients 2 teaspoon of cumin seeds ADD TO CART 2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds ADD TO CART 1 generous teaspoon of cardamom powder ADD TO CART 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder ADD TO CART 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder ADD TO CART 1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorn ADD TO CART 6 cloves whole ADD TO CART 5 dried whole chillies ADD TO CART 1/3 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar 6-8 clove of garlic - finely chopped 1 large onion - chopped 1 tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon of salt - add more if required 40g of Persian ghee ADD TO CART 40ml of rice bran oil 700g of free range pork- cut into 3cm cubes Method Dry fry the spices and red chilli in a fry pan for 2 minutes until well fragrant. Grind the spices using pestle and mortar or spice grinder to a fine powder. Then mix this powder with vinegar, brown sugar and salt to form a paste. Heat half oil & in a saucepan, add onion and fry until golden. Add garlic and ginger and fry for further 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a food processor with 2 tablespoon of water (add more if required) to form a smooth paste. Heat the remaining ghee and oil. Add pork cubes and cook until well browned. Add the onion paste to the meat along with the vinegar and spice paste. Saute for 2 minutes while stirring. Add 1 cup of hot boiling water to the meat mixture. Bring to a rapid boil and then simmer to cook for 1-2 hours. Serve with Persian Cumin rice and natural yoghurt. *** Cooking Tip *** you can cook this dish in slow cooker on very low heat for 4-5 hours. May need to add more liquid as required. Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!)

Israeli Moghrabieh I absolutely love grains and pulses anytime of the year in particular during the cooler months. Israeli Moghrabieh or giant couscous as you may know it, is a much loved traditional dish of Middle- East exhibiting in many cuisines such as Israeli, Lebanese and Palestinian. Moghrabieh in Arabic translates to a dish from Maghreb. Making couscous is like an art... thinking of different ways of making this blank canvas (or should I say bland canvas) into a master piece. Adding a bit of sour yellow from Preserved Lemons with a hint of red from the tangy crushed Sumac berry. Then mixing it through with the green and vibrant colour of dried dill and fresh mint. That's why I'd like to think of Moghrabieh or couscous in general as a feasting dish to be shared in huge platters with family and friends. Not only it's easy to cook-up but more importantly is visually appetizing. This dish served along side my favorite lamb tagine (recipe here) is a crowd winner at all my gatherings and parties. Enjoy creating, sharing and indulging! Ingredients 2 cups of Moghrabieh ADD TO CART 4 cups of water 2 tablespoon of Persian ghee ADD TO CART 2 tablespoon of rose water ADD TO CART 2 tbsp of finely diced preserved lemons ADD TO CART 1 tablespoon of dried dill ADD TO CART 1 tablespoon of Persian Sumac ADD TO CART 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint 1 tbsp of salt 1 clove of garlic - bruised Pinch of salt and pepper 1 tablespoon of olive oil Method In a heavy based pot on high heat, add moghrabieh, water, salt and garlic. Bring to boil for 10-15 minutes. Then simmer for further 15 minutes until moghrabieh is cooked. Drain excess liquid and discard the garlic. In a serving platter, combine all other ingredients. Add cooked moghrabieh and toss through well. Serve with lamb tagine or your favourite middle Eastern stew. *** Cooking Tip *** the heat from moghrabieh will melt the persian ghee, so make sure to stir through thoroughly. Nush-e-Jan! (Enjoy!)