A deep, fragrant Persian stew with melting meat, yellow split peas, and dried lemons, served with golden potatoes and basmati rice. The sauce is tart, warming, and concentrated, perfectly capturing the spirit of a classic Iranian family dish.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless lamb shoulder pieces
- 140 g yellow split peas
- 2 pieces yellow onions
- 500 g waxy potatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 pieces limoo amani dried lemons
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 700 ml hot water
- 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 320 g basmati rice
Method
- Rinse the yellow split peas until the water runs clear, then let them soak while you prepare the rest; they need to lose their starchy dust and cook more evenly.
- Slice the onions and sauté them in a Dutch oven with some of the oil over medium heat until golden, soft, and distinctly fragrant.
- Add the pieces of lamb, turmeric, pepper, and a pinch of salt; sear until the meat is no longer red on the outside and starts to stick slightly to the bottom.
- Stir in the tomato paste and roast it with the meat until it darkens, smells like sweet tomato, and the oil takes on an orange-red hue.
- Drain the split peas, add them to the pot with the hot water, and bring to a simmer; skim if necessary, partially cover, and simmer until the meat starts to become tender.
- Pierce the dried lemons with the tip of a knife, add them to the sauce with the cinnamon and saffron crushed between your fingers; continue to simmer gently until you get a cohesive, tart, and glossy sauce.
- While the stew finishes simmering, cut the potatoes into sticks, rinse them, dry them thoroughly, and then fry them in the remaining oil until crispy outside and fluffy inside.
- Taste the sauce, adjust the salt and acidity by gently pressing the dried lemons against the side without crushing them completely; the taste should be tomatoey, warmly spiced, and distinctly lemony.
- Serve the khoresh piping hot over or alongside the basmati rice, then add the golden potatoes at the last minute to keep them crispy.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 984.3 kcal
- Protein
- 44.66 g
- Carbohydrate
- 114.04 g
- Fat
- 39.85 g
- Fibre
- 14.87 g
- Calcium
- 44.87 mg
- Iron
- 3.56 mg
- Magnesium
- 35.02 mg
