Khoresht_e Chaghaleh badam/ Fresh green Almonds stew

Almonds and green? yes you heard it right  fresh almonds are green and very yummy, most people think almonds come in hard wooden shells but the delicious fact is before they get to be hard  and brownish  they are green  and soft. In Iran  these fresh green almonds are known as " chaghaleh badam ".   Iranians look forward to eat chaghaleh badam to the start of the spring, chaghaleh badam  last only for a few weeks  and then they start to get hardened . we soak them in the water for about a few hours and rub any excess white fur from  their skin. Green almonds have  tartness and they are very crunchy.

ingredients:

(8 servings)

750 gr  lamb meet

500 gr chaghaleh badam  or green almonds

3 cups fine chopped  parsley and mint leaves

1 cup fried onions

salt and black pepper  to taste

 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ( optional)

 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice

 oil

water

Direction

cut the meat in  one inch  cubes,  fry meat cubes in  1 table spoon  vegtable oil in a  cooking pan until its color changes, add fried onions and 3 cups of water, cover the pan and cook  the meat,  meanwhile  remove the stem of fresh almonds  stir fry them for a few minute, add chopped  parsley and mint  to the frying  almonds, stir them for a short while  until vegetables lose water,  then remove from the heat and set it aside,

when the meat is half cooked  add the  vegetables  and raw green almonds  ( chaghaleh) to meat.. add a pinch of salt and pepper, cook for 1 hour or until the chaghaleh and meat both are done,  add lemon juice and remove from the heat,

we serve this khoresht with  rice .. nooshe jaan!!!