Ingredients
The shallot
- 40 gdried musir slices
- wild Persian shallot
- cold water, for soaking
The yoghurt
- 700 gthick strained yoghurt
- full fat
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- or to taste
- white pepper
Sometimes added
- a little dried mint
- a drizzle of olive oil
To serve
- crisps
- flatbread
- or alongside rice and kabab
Directions
- Taste a small piece to check it. It should be mild and pleasantly oniony. Soak it longer if it still does. It also needs no soaking whatsoever. Strain it yourself if it is loose. Line a sieve with muslin or a cloth.
- Tip the yoghurt in and let it drain. Give it several hours in the refrigerator. Put the dried musir slices in a bowl. Cover them well with cold water. Use a bowl far larger than they look to need.
- Cover them with plenty of water. Pour the water off after a few hours. Rinse the slices under running water. Cover them with fresh cold water again. Keep going for at least a full day. Soak it in the refrigerator rather than out. Cold soaking is slower but safer.
- Taste a small piece of the soaked musir. It should be mild and pleasantly oniony. Soak it for as long as it needs. Draining it is the next step to take. Drain the soaked musir thoroughly.
- Squeeze the slices gently in your hands. Wet musir waters the yoghurt down. Chop the drained slices finely. Or leave them in slices if you prefer. Put the thick yoghurt in a bowl. Beat it smooth with a large spoon. Add all the prepared musir to it. Season it with salt and white pepper. Stir it all together thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate it. Give it at least two full hours. Taste it and adjust the salt as needed. Add more musir if it tastes weak. It should taste clearly of shallot. Scatter a little dried mint over it. Serving it is always done cold.
- Spoon it out into a shallow bowl. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Serve plain crisps alongside it. It keeps four days refrigerated.
Technique
- Dried musir is fiercely pungent and must be soaked at least a full day, and better two or three, with the water changed two or three times a day and thrown away each time. Taste a piece before using it: it should be mild and pleasantly oniony with no burn that catches in the throat. Undersoaked musir ruins the whole bowl and there is no fixing it afterwards.
- Musir is Allium stipitatum, gathered wild in the Zagros by digging up the whole bulb, which kills the plant; wild populations are under documented pressure from over-harvesting in Iran, and cultivation has been attempted to relieve it. The atlas records that rather than passing over it.
- The dip tastes of very little straight away and develops considerably as it sits, so give it at least two hours in the refrigerator and preferably overnight before judging the seasoning.
Substitutions
- Ordinary shallot makes a similar dip with no soaking at all, though it lacks the wild intensity of musir.
- Strain loose yoghurt yourself in a cloth-lined sieve for several hours, since thin yoghurt makes a watery dip.
Variations
- The musir is chopped finely or left in slices, and both are served in Iran.
- Dried mint or a drizzle of olive oil finishes it in some households.
- Eating it with crisps is a genuine Iranian habit rather than a modern novelty.
History
Musir is a wild Zagros shallot dried and rehydrated; the dip is a fixture of Iranian kebab houses.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mast-e Musir?
Mast-e Musir is a salad & side from Iran: thick yoghurt mixed with soaked wild shallot, eaten as dip with crisps or rice. Musir is a wild Zagros shallot dried and rehydrated; the dip is a fixture of Iranian kebab houses.
How long does Mast-e Musir take to make?
Mast-e Musir takes 15 minutes plus soaking of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mast-e Musir?
Yes, within limits. Ordinary shallot makes a similar dip with no soaking at all, though it lacks the wild intensity of musir. Strain loose yoghurt yourself in a cloth-lined sieve for several hours, since thin yoghurt makes a watery dip.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mast-e Musir?
Cover them with plenty of water. Pour the water off after a few hours. Rinse the slices under running water. Cover them with fresh cold water again. Keep going for at least a full day. Soak it in the refrigerator rather than out. Cold soaking is slower but safer.
