Abadan: Curry Capital of Iran

“We have just driven exactly 1000 kilometres from Tehran!” beamed a satisfied Mr. Rashidi as we slipped into the bougainvillea-skirted driveway of the Hotel Caravansera in Abadan last weekend. 

The drive from Tehran to Abadan was indeed long, but certainly worth every kilometer. Rangelands, snow-capped mountains, fertile valleys – a geologist’s wonderland of rock formations and lots of sheep passed us by until we finally reached the hot lowlands of Khuzestan and followed the Arvand River to our destination near the Persian Gulf.

Gary enjoying ghalieh meigoo at the Pakistan Central Restaurant

As we drove into the hotel, Gary jumped out to greet our good friends Shahriar from the Tehran Peace Museum and Habib Ahmadzadeh, a war veteran, award-winning author and documentary film-maker. Habib had invited Gary, Phoebe, Sarah and myself to visit the battlefields and memorial sites from the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). Of course, we jumped at the chance. 

In a short, but jam-packed two days, we met veterans in Faw, Shalamcheh, Khorramshahr and Abadan. It was a fascinating, whirlwind, personalized history tour of a dramatic and grim period that defined a generation of Iranians. We were utterly moved by the experience. Gary and I are both of this generation ourselves and we were speaking with our contemporaries about a conflict which we followed on the radio from the safety of lands far away. The stories we were told attested to the tragedy of the conflict and the pain, but also the ingenuity of Iran’s defenders and the pride they take in telling how they defended their homeland.

The trip is something which I would certainly recommend.

Yet, despite the intermittent reminders of former conflict and the heady aroma of the oldest petroleum site in the Middle East, the air in Abadan is full of spices. Close to the Persian Gulf and with Iraq just across the river, the city is bustling and diverse, and tends to come alive around 5pm. Walking along the streets of the bazaar, the tempting smells of freshly baked baklava, deep fried samosas and barrels of pickled vegetables swirl around in this intoxicating desert climate.

After a busy morning of memorable sightseeing, we found ourselves in the rather surprising Pakistan Central Restaurant on the corner of Pahlavi Street. Reputed to be a very famous establishment, with its own Facebook page, we were most excited to venture forth for a good curry. 

Now, truth be told, Iranians are not lovers of very hot or spicy food. Iranian food is made up of delicious blends of flavours with fruit and nuts being very much a part of a good meal. A hot and spicy curry is not something one generally finds on the menu. So, in we went, tummies rumbling and minds open.

The Pakistan Central Restaurant is a busy little place crammed in with long tables and tightly squeezed in chairs. What it lacks in atmospheric décor, it certainly makes up for in chattering customer noise and tempting smells emanating from the kitchen. The menu comes on one side of a laminated sheet – in Farsi. But, don’t be put off by the brevity of the menu, as less, in this case anyway, is certainly more. The handful of dishes on offer was clearly tasty enough to keep loyal patrons returning.

We smiled inwardly as our friends implored us not to burn our mouths on the hot curries, and decided that we would live dangerously and go for the famous ghalieh meigoo – shrimp curry with tamarind. Well, it was, without doubt, the spiciest curry I have ever eaten in Iran! The blend of the turmeric based curry powder and the sour yet tantalizing tamarind made it a most delectable dish. 

Curry powder on sale at Mr. Jalali's Spice Shop

Even Gary, not one to venture into the “unexplored” where his lunch is concerned, ate the lot. In fact, we loved it so much, that Gary insisted we go back the following night for more. Which we did.

The question did have to be asked however. And the question was, where do you get the curry powder for such tongue tantalizing curried shrimp in Iran? The answer was provided easily as it was on sale in the very same bazaar, just a few shops along at Mr. Jalali’s famous spice shop. Before we left Abadan, I made a beeline for Mr. Jalali’s shop, a quaint establishment with spices piled in pyramids in large steel basins and fused exotically with wands of burning incense. I opted for a half-kilo of the house special and a bottle of their own brand of tamarind sauce. It is indeed fabulous curry powder, and if nothing else, you should go to Abadan to get some.

Scrumptious!

Ghalieh Meigoo (Shrimp Curry with Tamarind)

Ingredients:

500 grams of shrimp

500 grams of coriander

2 cloves of garlic

1 or 2 onions

2 or 3 medium potatoes

2 to 3 tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

2 heaped teaspoons curry powder (or just turmeric if you don’t want a lot of spice)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Oil for cooking

What to do:

1.  Chop the onion & garlic into small pieces.

2.  Fry onion and garlic gently in a pan with the oil.

3.  Add the curry powder, black pepper and salt.

4.  Fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

5.  Chop the coriander until it is very fine, or grind in a blender.  Add this to the pan and fry gently for about 5 minutes.

6.  Add the tomato paste.  If the consistency is too dry, add some more oil.

7.  Add the shrimp and mix until all the shrimp are covered in the curry paste.

8.  Add about 2 cups of water, cover the pan and bring to the boil then add the potatoes.  Lower the heat slightly and cook until the potatoes are done.

9.  Add the tamarind paste.

10. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Optional: dice and fry some garlic and add just before serving.