Lamb Shanks & Herbed Basmati Rice with Fava Beans

Mehregan was this past week, it is the Ancient Persian holiday that celebrates Autumn, and more importantly friendship, love, and affection. It goes back thousands of years but its actual origins are slightly convoluted and they vary depending on who you speak to.

The dish I’ve prepared for you is maybe one of the most traditional dishes in Iranian/Persian Cuisine.  It’s also renown for being a favorite dish amongst many Iranians/Persians.

I know everyone here is a history buff and is completely enthralled with learning about Persian culture, but since many of you also are not, I won’t bore you with the details. Click here for more info.

Mehregan is celebrated at the opposite time of year in comparison to Persian New Year or Nowruz (a holiday many of you are familiar with nowadays, but this was not so growing up…”you’re taking off school to celebrate what again?”). Unlike Nowruz, it’s celebrated in the Fall, but it still has important similarities to Nowruz, it emphasizes being thankful and appreciating your loved ones. It’s typically celebrated on October 2nd.

Growing up, I would say Mehregan was not one of the holidays we really celebrated. My parents would read to me about it and tell me about it, but as a family we never had a special party or something uniquely celebrating it.

Persian/Iranian holidays have always been interesting to me, I love the significance they carry and the ancient roots they all have. Growing up, these were not easy to explain to my friends who just looked at me like I had five heads when I said my new year was in March.

But I love me some Fall, and with the Fall it means some heartier foods, and with that I give you Baghali Polow Mahicheh or Lamb Shanks with Herbed Basmati Rice and Fava Beans. This is one of my favorite Persian/Iranian foods.

It’s decadent Basmati Rice that is mixed with fresh Persian herbs and fava beans. You then braise lamb shanks and lay them with the rice. It has a great ratio of salty and savory with the meat and the rice. Not many Iranian restaurants have this unless it’s a special, so if I want it I have to make it.  I can eat it all day.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup of Basmati Rice

1/2 Cup of Fava Beans (Peeled, if they are not baby fava beans you need to peel them. Their skin is tough and chewy)

4 Lamb Shanks

Onion

Garlic

1 Tsp. Turmeric

2 Tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Salt (throughout for seasoning the food)

1 Tomato

1 Tbsp. Butter

2 Cups Chicken/Beef Broth

1/4 Cup Fresh Dill (chopped)

1/4 Cup Curly Leaf Parsley(Chopped)

4 Tbsp. Dried Sadaf Sabzi-Polow Herb Mixture

Method

First prepare your lamb shanks. This is a fairly simple braise, saute some onions, garlic, your tomato, and your spices with you butter in a pot. Once the they are browned and soft, add your lamb shanks. Brown the shanks on all sides, then add your stock, and cook on low for a few hours. You’ll know they are done when the meat basically falls off the bone.

Now onto your rice. Soak your rice in water for about an hour. Strain out the liquid a couple of times and rinse your rice in a fine mesh colander. Get two cups of water boiling in a large pot. Once the water begins to boil, add your rice. As soon as the rice grains begin to elongate, remove your rice from the heat and strain your rice again in a fine mesh colander.

This next portion must be done rapidly, as soon as you strain your rice in the colander, add some butter or cooking oil to your pot. Then run some water through your rice to wash away some excess starch. Then carefully layer your rice, herbs, and fava beans (starting with your rice first). Add a 1/4 cup of beef stock from your lamb shanks into your rice, wrap your lid with a towel, place your lid onto your pot and cook on low/medium low for 30-45 minutes. During this time keep an eye on your rice. Gently stir it once or twice in the beginning to let some of the excess steam out. Be careful, don’t stir it too much, you don’t want mushy rice.

After about 30 minutes on low, check your rice, you should have a Tahdig forming at the bottom. You are better having the heat low, because once you burn your tahdig your day is ruined.

Once your rice is ready you can lay your lamb shanks underneath or beside your rice. Enjoy!

*I also tried putting my rice in muffin tins to give everyone an individual portion of tahdig. This was really nice and helped me control the amount of rice I served. You can do this for any rice dish, just grease the tin, put your rice in the tin and bake in the oven until it forms a tahdig on the part you can see. Be on the look out to make sure it doesn’t burn.