The Gilaneh’s Torsh-e Kebab

The way to a man’s heart…

… is to listen to him.

And when that fails, take him out for some torsh-e kebab!

Which is what I had to resort to this week, when we paid a visit to the Gilaneh Restaurant, home of northern Iranian food in Tehran on Jordan Street.  We went there specifically to try out that particularly Caspian kebab.

The reason for this treat was my food faux pas of not listening to the man I have been married to for 28 years.  Not that this is a cardinal sin in of itself, but I failed to pick up the obvious – he likes torsh-e kebab, a sweet and sour delight made with a mix of pomegranate syrup and walnut paste.

Gary finally finds his torsh-e kebab

A few weeks ago, we were travelling in Mazandaran Province, right next to the Caspian Sea, and stayed in the old seaport of Babolsar.  Over lunch one day with some friends, Gary was absorbed in consuming copious quantities of this torsh-e kebab – even though he did not know that was what it was called. I was deeply involved in conversation with others, ignoring both the dish in question and my better half.

On the long drive back, Gary huffily moaned – repeatedly – that he had found something new he loved to eat and I didn’t even notice, let alone take a photo, never mind asking about what it was called. 

And so, since then I have been on a culinary guilt trip of monumental proportions.  This has led me to describing to various people what it was that Gary ate and then triangulating the evidence to eventually conclude that the enigmatic meal was in fact torsh-e kebab.

Having concluded that torsh-e kebab was probably the mystery item, the final leg in my odyssey led us to the Gilaneh Restaurant, a corner of the Caspian tucked away just a few metres off Africa Boulevard in the northern part of Tehran.  The restaurant oozes a combination of traditional charm and modern crispness.  Seated at old-style wooden tables, surrounded by household items of days gone by, we relaxed for a delicious, unhurried meal.  We could just feel as if we were sitting in some tavern by the Caspian, mist rolling in off the sea.  Modern fusion music brought us into the current century, and helpful smiling waiters brought us menus. 

Gilaneh Restaurant in Tehran

Knowledge is power and it didn’t take long to find the torshe-e kebab on the menu.  A choice of meat, lamb or chicken was offered to us, and of course torshe-e kebab juje was ordered.  The blend of pomegranate and walnut lends to purplish-red looking meat with the tangiest of tastes.  Although normally served with kateh, a Mazanderan easy-to-cook rice dish with oil and salt, we chose our favourite saffron topped rice.  Add to that a fabulously zingy salad, and I can’t remember the last time we ate kebabs so quickly. 

It tasted that good!

So, the moral of the story is, if you still don’t listen to the one you love, you can always Google a good restaurant to get you off the hook!

Torsh-e Kebab

What you need:

1 kg chicken, lamb or beef

1 cup walnuts

¾ cup of pomegranate syrup

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Metal or bamboo skewers for grilling

What to do:

The night before…

Chop the meat into sizeable chunks for grilling on a bar-b-q.

Place the meat in a large glass or casserole dish.

Combine the walnuts, pomegranate syrup, olive oil and garlic.  If you have a food processor or blender, toss them in and blend them together well.  Add the parsley and process until you have a fine paste.

Pour the marinade over the meat and mix well.

Cover and leave in the fridge over night.

When you are ready to grill…

If you are using bamboo skewers, it is helpful to soak them in slightly salty water for about 10 to 15 minutes.  This will prevent the skewer from burning and keep the meat moist.

Skewer the meat.  Letting the meat rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes until you are ready to grill is helpful if you have time.

Grill the meat, turning regularly, until ready. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the skewers as they grill.

Serve with rice, salad, flatbread and grilled tomatoes.