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Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip (Mast-o Musir)

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Photo of a bowl of PersianShallot Yogurt.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce

I think of Persian shallots like truffles—they grow wild in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains, and have to be found and dug out of the earth by dedicated artisans. Their flavor is like a cross between elephant garlic and regular shallots. This lovely, simple dish is great to have in your fridge at all times (it will keep, covered, in the fridge, for a week). It goes to perfection with eggs and every kind of kabab, adding a wonderful and distinctive flavor to any dish it accompanies.

Ingredient Info

Dried Persian shallots (musir) are available in Iranian markets and online. Edible dried rose petals are available in Iranian markets, some specialty tea shops, and online.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    3 hours (includes soaking)

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

1 ½ cups dried musir (Persian shallots, see note)
4 cups (960g) plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (85g) shredded fresh mint, or 1 tablespoon dried mint

Garnish:

1 teaspoon crushed dried rose petals (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak the musir in water for 3 to 24 hours in the fridge. Drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry. Inspect the soaked musir, cutting out any stems that remain hard after soaking, and chop finely.

    Step 2

    In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped musir with the yogurt, salt, pepper, and mint. Mix well.

    Step 3

    Add the garnish if you like and serve as an appetizer or an accompaniment.

Cover of the cookbook featuring a crispy wedge of tahdig in a bowl with a stew garnished with barberries and seeds.
From Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple copyright © 2019 by Najmieh Batmanglij. Published with permission by Mage Publishers. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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