Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add chicken and fry until colour changes. Wash and peel carrot. Chop into small pieces. Add to chicken with a bit of salt and one cup of hot water. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove bones and cut into small pieces.
Wash potatoes well. Add hot water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, then mash them well using the back of a fork. Cook peas over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Finely chop dill pickles. Boil eggs until hard. Remove shells and crush well using the back of a fork.
Add potatoes, peas, pickles, salt, black pepper, mayonaise, eggs and lime juice to chicken (with a bit of juice) and mix well. Salad-e Olivieh should be served cold.
Optional: pour the mix in a dish and flatten the surface with the back of a spoon. Place some mayonaise on top and spread over the surface with a knife. Slice one or two dill pickles length-wise and use the slices to decorate Salad-e Olivieh. Salad-e Oliviyeh is believed to have foreign origin but has been modified in Iran.
Roxana & Farzin Mokhtarian
Jan 2004