Wanderlusting through take out--Persian dining at Shatter Abbas

kebab platter from Shatter Abbas

So, what does a Wanderlusting Mama do in winter, during a lockdown? While this whole pandemic continues to bring different degrees of difficulty for everyone, we can all agree that this has been truly challenging. 

I have definitely not lost the desire to discover new places, try new things. But I will also continue to say that some things are more important than others, particularly safety. These days, I just try to embrace everything that we miss out on during the pre-Covid times—board games, movie nights, and freshly baked bread for breakfast or goodies for snack! Outside of that, I continue to discover new places to eat with take out or curbside pick up!

Hubby and I recently binge-watched Tehran on Apple TV+. Of course, I had to look for some Iranian/Persian food! So, I ordered food from Shatter Abbas which started as a family-owned restaurant, from its first location in Thornhill.

Order for pick up was quick and straightforward. Their website has an updated take-out menu which describes the dishes--great for non-Persians like us who are not quite familiar with the traditional dishes. We got the Kebab Platter which included two skewers of the more popular koobideh (ground beef) and two skewers of joojeh (marinated chicken leg and breast). These came with oh-so-fragrant saffron basmati rice, grilled whole tomatoes and peppers. The kebabs were so tender and juicy! So nicely-seasoned and perfectly grilled. It went so well sprinkled with the sumac powder they included. A dash of this tangy spice gave the grilled meat a pop without the overpowering effect its acidic counterparts (lemon, vinegar) would have provided. I went to Google to get a little more insight into this interesting spice I've never tried before! Sumac powder is ground fruit of the sumac plant commonly found in Africa, North America and some countries of the Middle east. It is not only used for cooking but was also used medicinally as an astringent, antiseptic and tonic. I am now on the search for recipes to make with sumac powder at home!

portion of kebab platter @Shatter Abbas

generous serving of Saffron Basmati rice from Shatter Abbas

We also ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi, known to some as Iran's national dish. It is a stew made with fresh herbs, beef cubes, kidney beans and Persian dry lime. Again, wonderful with the saffron basmati rice. The Persian dry lime gave the dish a subtle sour taste popping through the fragrant herbs. One of the herbs used is fenugreek, another ingredient we do not stock in our home. It adds a hint of bitterness to the stew for balance.  We do not know how authentic Shatter Abbas' version is or what should be the standard. While it was not a hit in our family (well, compared to the kebabs), it was still an interesting dish we will not soon forget with its unique flavours. Will definitely try again in another Persian resto just to compare.

Ghormeh Sabzi from Shatter Abbas

The fam decided this was a great discovery and that we will include koobideh and joojeh as some of our favourite dishes. Shatter Abbas, we will be back!