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Khoresht-e Gheimeh

This Persian sauce is exquisite, with delicate spicing and dried lime as the dominant flavor. Serve it with plain rice prepared in the Persian manner (page 338) or the quick and easy boiled and steamed rice (page 339).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef cut into 1-inch cubes
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pepper
4 dried limes (page 44)
3/4 cup yellow split peas, soaked in water for 1 hour
Salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pan, fry the onion in the oil until soft. Add the meat and sauté, turning to brown it all over. Add the water and bring to the boil.

    Step 2

    Remove the scum and add turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. Pierce a few little holes in the dried limes with a pointed knife and put them in.

    Step 3

    Simmer for 1 hour, then add the drained split peas and cook 1/2–1 hour more, or until the meat and split peas are very tender, adding salt towards the end and more water, if needed, to keep the meat covered.

  2. Variation

    Step 4

    The rice and sauce are also served topped with fried diced potatoes. These are added in the pan, at the end of cooking, to sit on the surface of the stew and soak up some of the sauce.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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