Date Palm and Olive Orchards Meet Local Honey Farms: Basic Iraqi Biryani

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Basic Iraqi Biryani

Excuse the pics, I used my phone camera for these.

This is the rice and the spice for the most basic version of Iraqi Biryani.

2 cups uncooked basmati rice. Rinse it well, with warm water, to get rid of the excess starch/dust, and drain it.

A strainer such as this one is useful for draining the water out of the rice.

1/2 cup short vermicelli (orzo works great too

1/3 cup olive oil

Pour about 1/3 cup olive oil or cooking oil in the bottom of the pot, toast the pasta until golden brown and a nutty aroma escapes it. Immediately pour in the rice and stir it together really well to prevent the pasta from getting too dark.

2 Tablespoons of Arabic seven spice (If you can't find Arabic seven spice, use 1 tsp. each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, black or white pepper, nutmeg, coriandar, and dry mustard)

salt to taste

4 cups water (for softer rice, use up to 6 cups water)

Add the spices and the water to the rice and stir everything together very well.

Heat everything just to a strong boil.

Now cover it and reduce the heat to the lowest level. Leave the rice covered and on a warm burner for at least 25 minutes, then turn it off, remove the lid and fluff it with a fork. Serve with soup that has a lot of broth, and spoon it over the rice to serve it.

*Accompanying Red Chicken Stew recipe coming soon.

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"If it ain't simple, I don't cook it."

A Treasured Saying from Imam al-Ridha (A.S.)

He, peace be on him, has said: “May (Ayyār) is thirty-one days; the winds become clear there in; it is at the end of the season of spring; one must refrain from salty foods, thick meat such as heads and beef, and yogurt; entering the bathroom at the beginning of day is useful therein; and sport before lunch is reprehensible therein.”

As for May (Ayyār), it is at the beginning of summer, so the digestive system cannot bear heavy foods, especially when one reaches old age, for having thick meat leads to dreadful damages such as high blood pressure, and the like.

He, peace be on him, has said: “June (Huzayrān) is thirty days; the power of phlegm terminates therein; the time of the yellow bile comes; one must refrain from tiredness and eating abundant meat; one must smell musk and ambergris; it is useful to eat cold vegetables such as endive and purslane, to eat greens such as cucumber, purgative manna, ripe fruit, to use soured things; of the meat is goat and young goat; of the birds is chickens, dull-yellow partridge (tahiyujj), francolins; yogurt and fresh fish.”

As for June (Huzayrān), it is the first of the months of summer; bodies become weak therein, for they face intense and bitter heat. The Imām, peace be on him, has emphasized that one must:

1. avoid tiredness.

2. avoid having abundant meat.

3. eat vegetables and fruit, for they are light, and not heavy.

He, peace be on him, has said: “July (Tammūz) is thirty-one days; heat becomes intense therein; water goes down; one must drink cold water before breakfast, eat cold, fresh things, and digestible foods (like those mentioned in June); one must smell cold, wet flowers with agreeable scent.”

As for July (Tammūz), it is the heaviest of all the months of the year and the most harmful of them toward man. That is because of the intense heat which occurs when water goes down. The Imām has stressed that one must use cold things and eat light foods lest the digestive system should be affected by them. He has also focused on that one must smell cold flowers with pleasant scent, for they have a good effect on the digestive system.

He, peace be on him, has said: “August (Āb) is thirty-one days; the simoom (hot wind) becomes intense therein; cold becomes exited at night; the north wind blows; temper becomes good through patting and moistening; it is useful to drink yogurt; one must refrain from having sexual intercourse and laxative, decrease sport, and smell cold flowers.”

Like July (Tammūz), August (Āb) is hot; cold becomes intense out of the weakness of bodies because of the intense heat, hence the Imām has made it recommended to use cold thins which decrease the intensity of heat.

Eat What is in Season

006.141
YUSUFALI: It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters.
PICKTHAL: He it is Who produceth gardens trellised and untrellised, and the date-palm, and crops of divers flavour, and the olive and the pomegranate, like and unlike. Eat ye of the fruit thereof when it fruiteth, and pay the due thereof upon the harvest day, and be not prodigal. Lo! Allah loveth not the prodigals.
SHAKIR: And He it is Who produces gardens (of vine), trellised and untrellised, and palms and seed-produce of which the fruits are of various sorts, and olives and pomegranates, like and unlike; eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant.

In Case Anyone Wants to Know

Properly nourishing a family is a big responsibility, when taking into account the nutritional needs of growing boys and a hard-working husband and father. Vegan recipes are mainly for me, and non-vegan recipes are for my family, although I share my dishes with everyone. I have special nutritional requirements for two reasons. One is that I experience terrible hormone problems when I eat non-organic fruits and vegetables and excessive meat, eggs or dairy. Second, I had to have my gall bladder removed last year, so I eat either fat free or very low fat foods because foods that are high in fat cause me to have severe pain in the right side of my abdomen, where the liver drips bile to break down the fats in people who no longer have their gall bladders. The only two fat sources I usually consume are organic unrefined coconut oil and organic extra virgin olive oil, and those I use very little. So my biggest challenge is that all of us eat well while simultaneously respecting my own health issues. I have a profound belief that most health problems can be avoided and/or treated nutritionally.

Date Palm and Olive Orchards Meet Local Honey Farms

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Basic Iraqi Biryani

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A Treasured Saying from Imam al-Ridha (A.S.)

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Eat What is in Season

Foods Mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and Hadith

In Case Anyone Wants to Know

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