cooking

Sabzi Polow Mahi(Herb Rice with Fish)

Sabzi Polow (herb rice) and Mahi

(fish) is traditionally served for the

Persian New Year Norooz. Persian

New Year is celebrated every year

to signify the beginning of spring and

most of the dishes served during No-

rooz holidays have herbs as a symbol

of rebirth, and fish that represents life.■ Ingredients: 2 Cups, long grain rice (Basmati

rice), 3 Pieces, Tilapia fish fillet, or a

fish of your choice, ¼ Cups, chopped

dill, fresh or dried, ¼ Cups, chopped

chives or scallions

¼ Cups, chopped parsley, ¼ Cups,

chopped coriander (cilantro), ½ Cups,

flour

1 Teaspoon, turmeric, ½ Teaspoons,

black pepper, salt, 1 Tablespoon, fish

spice, ½ Teaspoons, ground saffron

dissolved into 4 tablespoons hot wa-

ter, 3 Tablespoons, lemon juice, 2 Ta-

blespoons, butter, vegetable oil.■ Directions:Wash the rice with cool water a few

times. Soak in water, add 1 table-

spoons salt and set aside for couple

of hours. The longer you soak the rice

it will be fluffier when cooked.

In a large non-stick pot, bring 5 cups

of water to a boil over medium-high

heat. Drain the rice and pour into

boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring water back to a boil. After 5-7

minutes test to see if the rice is ready.

Rice should be hard in the center and

soft on the outside. Also another way

to see if it’s ready to drain is that you

will see the rice gains starting to come

to the surface of the water.

Drain the rice using a colander and

rinse with cool water. Add the chopped

herbs to the rice and mix . Be careful

to not break the rice grains. Return the

pot and heat 3 tablespoon of vegeta-

ble oil over medium heat. Place the

rice and herb mixture in the pot in a

pyramid shape.

Add butter to the top, make 3 holes

in the rice with the bottom of a spoon

to release the steam. Lower the heat,

cover the lid and steam the rice for 45-

50 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile,

mix the flour with turmeric, fish spice,

black pepper and 1 tablespoon salt.

You can add garlic powder too. Coat

each fillet with this mixture finely and

set aside.

Click on the image to enlarge. Heat

3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a

skillet over medium heat. place fish

fillets in the pan and fry both sides un-

til golden and crispy. Mix the saffron

water with lemon juice and add to the

fillets. Reduce heat, cover the lid and

let it cook for some more minutes un-

til fillets absorb the saffron and lemon

juice. When the rice is done, using a

spatula gently serve the rice onto a

platter and place the fish fillets beside

it. You can save a bit of saffron water

from step 9 and mix with some rice

for garnish and decoration. Preferred

side dishes for this dish were named

in the description.

As two civilized countries, China and Iran face unprecedented opportunities and ca-

pacities for the expansion of mutual cooperation, especially in Silk Road festivals and

projects, a member of the Propaganda Committee of Communist Party of China said.

Chen Ching, also the director general of the Propaganda Department of the Central

Committee of the province of Gansu, made the remarks in an interview with IRNA. She

pointed to long-standing cultural relations and friendship between the two countries and

said that many provinces like Gansu Province in northwestern China have an eye on

closer ties with Iran. The official highlighted the role of Iran in the Silk Road, and went

on to say, “Silk Road is a plan belonging to the international community and is a way to

link countries to each other, in which all countries are considered, but the role of Iran is

more evident.”

Beijing, Tehran Have Unique Opportunitiesto Expand Ties

No.1834,Tuesday,19 March,2019

4

www.TOURISMpaper.com

Chahrshanbe Suri, the IranianFire Festival to Purify the Souls

very year at mid-March, while the Persian New Year approaches, it

is time to perform a ritual of purification and good luck in Iran, and

many neighboring countries. Such customs have been at the center

of the Persian culture, thanks to a beloved tradition: Chaharshambe Suri/

Soori, the Fire Festival. The name of this festival comes from the word

“Chaharshanbe”, which is namely “Wednesday” in Persian language,

and the word “Suri”, which refers to red, or ruddiness. It is, in a way,

“The Red Wednesday”, but is better known as the “Fire Festival”.

Since centuries people have been celebrated it on the evening of

the last Thursday of the Persian Solar Year, a few days before the

Persian New Year’s Eve, “Nowruz”. In 2019, Chaharshanbe Suri

is expected on the 19th of March. Chaharshanbe Suri is indeed

all about getting rid of the ending year’s misfortune and bad

luck while hoping for a bright and joyful New Year. But where do

these rituals and beliefs find their roots?■ Driving the devil’s eye away

Fire has been a sacred element in ancient Persia, yet Cha-

harshanbe Suri does not have root in the first monotheist reli-

gion of Persia directly. However Zoroastrians used to light

huge fires on top of the hills during a winter festival, called

“Sada/ Sade Festival”, which might be an ancestor

of Chaharshanbe Suri. Indeed, the main custom of

Chaharshanbe Suri is to cross a bonfire, by jump-

ing over it. However, this habit has become popular

after the arrival of Islam in Iran, and it would be

considered as an insult to jump over the sacred

element for a Zoroastrian. Throughout time with

the Muslim conquest, these ancient customs

have survived to become more secular. It is

also believed that the choice of a Wednesday

is related to the Arabs’ superstition that this day brings

bad omen.

A Traditional Haft SinTable Celebrating Nowruz

aft Sin (Haft Seen) is

a traditional custom in

the New Year holiday

of Iranian known as Nowruz.

Actually it is a table setting with

7 different items which its es-

sential items letters start with,

however there are some items

in this table setting which do

not start with seen. “Seen”(

in Persian) is the fifteenth let-

ter of the Persian alphabet;

meaning “The Seven Seens”

in Persian a “Haft Seen” is a

symbolic spread. On event of

the Persian New Year, which

starts mid-March, pretty much

every Iranian family sets one

up at home as do shopping

malls, stores and offices. The

spread typically features seven

elements beginning with the

letter “seen” as well as other

elements that do not neces-

sarily begin with the same

letter. Each element

has unique sym-

bolic significance

which we briefly

explain below:

1. Serkeh (Vinegar) symbol-

izes patience and immortality.

2. Sumac is a symbol of love

and compassion. 3. Seeb (Ap-

ple) is said to represent health

and fertility. 4. Senjed (Silver-

berry) is seen as a simula-

tor of love and affection. 5.

Sabzeh (Sprouts)

symbolizes rebirth.

The greens might

have sprouted from

wheat, lentils, bare-

ly or mung beans

(and more recently

citrus seeds). 6. Sir

(Garlic) was

traditionally

thought to

avert evil;

given the

pungent smell it diffuses, we

couldn’t entirely reject that

theory. It is a symbol of protec-

tion in the face of affliction. 7.

Samanu is a nutritious pudding

which comes in only one color:

brown. To make Samanu,

wheat sprouts are

transformed into

a sweet and

creamy delight.

The sev-

e n t h

“Seen” represents affluence.

Side elements used to adorn

the setting include mirrors, can-

dles, colored eggs, hyacinths,

coins, and clocks. But the most

controversial members of the

spread are gold-fish! There is

vehement disagreement on

whether or not gold-fish in a

bowl actually belong on

a “Haft Seen.” The most fervid

opponents are environmental-

ists and animal rights activists.

Though some have replaced

gold fish with ceramic replicas

over the past few years, many

continue to buy the real deal

every Nowruz. Not all of the

named elements are seen in

every “Haft Seen.”

People tend to make

their pick based on

personal taste, aes-

thetic preference, or

availability. Given the

many options available,

there is more than

one way to go

about arrang-

ing a spread

and the out-

comes are wide-

ly diverse. Like

all other things

that change with

time, the spreads

have also taken

many new and creative

forms.

H

E