The New Persian Kitchen (15 page)

Slice the onion to a thickness of ¼ inch. In a medium skillet, sauté the onion in the oil over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until it starts to darken and caramelize. Turn down the heat slightly and add the beets along with the garlic, walnuts, raisins, and paprika, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor and pulse several times until chunky. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture with the lentils, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Replace the food processor without washing and add the rice and egg, and pulse to form a coarse puree. Add the rice mixture to the onion-lentil mixture and mix well with your hands.

Lightly oil your hands and divide the dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a patty just under 1 inch thick.

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to coat the bottom. Place the burgers in the skillet and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Gently flip the burgers and turn down the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the burgers have a firm, brown crust. Serve hot with your favorite condiments.

Whisk together the scallions, oil, lime juice, turmeric, and garlic with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add the tempeh and toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking dish and marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in salty water for a couple of hours before grilling. Thread the tempeh onto the skewers about ¼ inch apart, along with a few tomatoes on each skewer, leaving 2 inches of space at one end. Reserve ¼ cup of the remaining marinade for basting, and pour the rest into a blender. Add the mint, cilantro, and yogurt. Blend until smooth to make a sauce, then season with salt.

Prepare a hot grill.

Grill the skewers, basting a few times with the reserved marinade, for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the tempeh begins to char. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the tempeh. Put the rest in a bowl for dipping. Serve hot, garnished with the sumac.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the tempeh into quarters, and pulse it a few times in a food processor until it has the texture of ground meat. In a large bowl, combine the tempeh, garlic, onion, turmeric, and coriander. Add the mashed potatoes, cilantro, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and eggs, and mix to form the dough. Form into 15 patties ¾ inch thick, using
⅓
cup of dough for each patty.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of ¼ inch. When the oil is hot, place several cakes in the skillet, without crowding. Fry for 4 minutes per side, until golden, and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining patties. Transfer the patties to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, in order to cook the inside.

Whisk the tamarind with the sugar, ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve the cakes hot or at room temperature, and drizzle with the tamarind sauce. Leftover cakes will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.