Khoresht- e Qeimeh, or Gheimeh, split peas and meat stew

This is one of the special dishes amongst Iranians, Many Iranians have  special feelings for this khoresht because it is one of the most  wanted nazri foods during religious  ceremonies,nazri is traditional Muslim Iranian culture which is mostly referred to making food and distributing it amongst people specifically needy ones,generally Nazr  is a promise to fulfill when someone asks God to help to solve problems or Asking God for something , Most people promise to make foods and distribute it Many Iranians carry it out  multiple times per year around major religious events and holidays, Khoresht gheimeh is easy and delicious, hence on the top list of nazri Foods. 
 Gheigmeh or Qeimah, is tiny cut pieces of  stewing meat lamb or beef, (Goosht-e Gheimeh) ...... Goosht means meat! once is served you may fall in love with its peculiar aroma of dried  lime - Limoo amani- and  matchstick thin potato chips on top of the stew !


I N G R E D I E N T S: (for 4 )

450 gr stewing meat (lamb chops or beef)
1 large onion
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 dried limes  
2 potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp saffron
1tbsp rose water
2 handfuls of split  peas
2 tbs oil


D I R E C T I O N:


Trim , wash and chop stewing meat in small cubes,
Chop the onions and saute in 1 tablespoon oil until golden, 
add meat to onions and fry until the meat color changes  all over,add turmeric and nutmeg, salt and pepper

  Add water to cover the meat and cook for about 45 minutes, ,meanwhile cook split peas separately but remove them from the heat  half cooked, to better digestion of split peas you should soak them in water a few hours a head of cooking, 
Drain half cooked split peas and add them in a frying pan and add tomato paste, cinnamon and nutmeg, stir fry for a few minutes,  cut dried limes in half and remove seeds carefully, add them to the pan,

  Add the split peas mixture to the meat and cover the mixture with enough amount of water, sprinkle  in saffron powder,
cover the pan and  simmer for 40 minutes or until   meat is tender and split peas are soft, but don't overcook  the stew , add rose water before removing from the heat( after adding rose water  simmer 2 minutes more)

 about 10 minutes before serving the food, peel the potato, and cut in matchstick thin length wise and make fried potato chips,

add chips on the top of the stew before serving, 

Serve with plain rice, 

I hope you enjoy it!

Khoresh karafs, Celery with meat Stew

This Stew(Khoresh) is one of the popular dishes, easy but tasty, one of those kinds which can be made by every lazy single person who is not  bothered even with boiling an egg!!! what makes this food everyone's first choice is its humble ingredients like celery parsely and beef or stewing lamb and its aromatic flavor along with some sour notes,
you can cook it next time or even now for your supper table or lunch!

Ingredients : served for 4

2 large onions (peeled thinly sliced)
450 gr meat ( stewing meat , I prefer lamb) cut in 1 inch cubes
1 head ofcelery (wash teh celery wall  and cut in lengthwise ,This is about the length of an index finger)
3 cups fresh finely chopped parsely 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
2 table spoons  dried mint
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons  oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon turmeric

Direction

Brown onion with meat in one table spoon of oil
Add turmeric and nutmeg and 2 glasses of water , cover and let it simmer for 40 minutes
in a nonstick frying pan, fry the  chopped celery in 3 tabelspoons of oil for 10 minutes, add chopped herbs and stir fry it for 10 minutes longer, add dried mint  leaves  and stir it for 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat, add mixture of celery  to the meat , at this stage you can add salt ( if you add salt at the begining of cooking meat, meat will be hardened and it takes along time to be tender)
cover  and simmer over the low heat for about  an hour or so  or until  the meat and celery are tender and soft , after an hour add lime juice , simmer  for 5 minutes longer, taste teh stew before serving  and adjust the seasoning according to your taste,
Serve the stew with rice!
Nooshe jaan!

PS: I forgot to take pictures from cooking process!

Khoresh Qurmeh Sabzi( Ghormeh sabzi, vegetable and meat Stew)

A: " what is your favorite dish?"

Iranian: " Qurmeh sabzi!!!"

 yes, we Iranians love Qurmeh sabzi,  you may not like Qurmeh sabzi when you eat it for the first time but  I promise you  that  you will  be hooked to it  after the second try. Qurmeh sabzi  is one of those  appetizing dishes,  this stew is a hit for Iranians and miss with non Iranians.  most of non Iranians  don't know much about  this very popular stew. I don't want to exaggerate because some people can hate it , but as far as I know people simply love it. The stew  comes with rice, actually Iranians eat all kind of stews over Rice.

Ingredients: 

2 medium onions .....diced finely 

1 teaspoon  turmeric 

450 gr  meat ( stewing meat or lamb chops)

1/3 cup kidney beans 

3 cups fresh parsley (finely chopped )

2 cups cilantro (finely chopped )

1cup fenugreek (finely chopped )

1cup chives (finely chopped)  or persian leek

1/2 cup spinach( finely chopped)

salt and pepper   for taste

5 dried persian limes ( limoo amani)....I like sour taste  so I usually add more dried lime)

Direction

 Soak beans over night, next day  half cook beans separately,  when I want to cook  beans I usually boil  it for a few minutes, and drain the water , I repeat it twice , this way  beans do not make the stew color  darker or reddish brown  and most important  it prevents  blowing gas!!!! LOL

Dice onions finely , saute onion in oil until translucent, add meat (cut meat in 2cm cubes or use lamb chops)

add turmeric  and stir well , allow  meat to become brown  all sides.

 Add turmeric and , season with pepper (just a pinch of black  pepper) , add 3 glasses of water and cover it and cook it for about an hour, some people add  dried limes and salt too,  but I prefer to not add salt and lime at this stage because it will longer the time of cooking, as salt and sour stuff would harden the meat)

In the meantime break the dried limes into  halves and removes seeds completely, remember  that seeds would give your stew  bitter taste so you rather remove them  completely . (you can see the cleaned and broken  limes in above picture), fry finely chopped  vegetables  in  2 tablespoons oil  or 1  ..depends on your diet,  until its water evaporates and u smell the aroma , don't over fry it  at all,

Add half cooked beans  fried vegetables and dried limes to the meat  , add salt just to taste , add 2 cups water and cover it  and cook it  for 2 more hours.(or 1.30 hours)

Take the first munch and  your eyes will be widened in delight !!!!!!!!! Nooshe jaan

Khoresh Aloo... (prune and chicken stew )

It has been a  while since I've posted  a recipe! I have been  buried   in a bunch of  things but  here I am  with a new chicken recipe and  pitted prune. I just wanted to make a delicious comeback!!

ingredients

chicken 1 kg

pitted prunes  400 gr

2 onions 

Saffron  1/2 teaspoon

turmeric 1/2 teaspoon

oil of your own choice  2 table spoons

4   carrots

 fresh lime or lemon juice 2 table spoon

lemon zest 1 teaspoon ( you can use orange zest   or orange peels)

water 2 glasses

salt and pepper to taste

Direction

wash and soak dried pitted prunes  for about an hour,  peel and slice onions fry in   one table spoon oil until golden and soft. Add chicken and stir-fry it until chicken color changes,  add lemon zest or peels, turmeric and  a pinch of salt and black pepper, they give   such a lovely flavor to your food,  add  enough water and cook  over the medium heat for about 15 minutes,  meanwhile  cut  carrots  lengthwise into 2 inches length and  add them into a frying pan with a table spoon of oil and a table spoon of water  and cook for about 5 minutes or until  its juice/water  is gone , I think this way is better  than frying  carrots  and set it aside, after 15 minutes, add prunes and fresh lemon juice into chicken , let it simmer for 10 minutes, bring   a cup of water into a boil,steep saffron in a boiling water and cover the cup for  2 minutes, then add saffron water into the  food, , finally add carrots  and let it simmer for another 5 minutes, after that  our Khoresh is ready to be served with  rice . Nooshe Jaan!

Khoresh Fesenjaan, chicken in walnut and pomegranate paste

walnut and pomegranate combination is one of  my favorites, but I can't take the  credit of uniting these two yummy tastes, older generation of Iran is responsible for this  tasty attack,   not only tasty but healthy!
genius   right? genius and perfectly done!  I am sure once you eat it you will be hooked, this food is so try-worthy ,
lets get started!


Khoresh fesenjaan:


ingredients:
1 cup walnut   finely chopped/ground or minced


1/2-1 cup pomegranate paste dissolved in water....or  2 -3 cups pomegranate juice 9if pomegranate paste is not available)
600 gr boneless chicken ...


water and chicken stock (3  large cups)
2  medium onions  finely chopped
1/2 tea spoon cinnamon ....optional
2 table spoon    oil  of your own choice  .... I prefer walnut oil ..or  grape seed oil
salt to taste


direction:
 1- fry chopped onions in  2 table spoon oil  for about 4 mins only to tender them , add chicken pieces and fry them until they change the color 
2- grind walnuts, some people  mince walnuts finely  but I prefer to have crunchy texture for this stew, add the grounded walnuts into the pan and stir the mixture of chicken onion and walnut for a while up to grounded walnuts release its fragrance just like toasting them . do not burn the walnuts while frying the mixture, 
3- add a cup of water into the pan and let it simmer covered  over the  medium/low heat , after 15-20 mins add another cup of water or stock, let it simmer for another 20 mins,  I add water to the mixture gradually  to help walnuts to release its oil, 
4-after 20  mins add pomegranate juice or its paste and let it simmer for  20 mins   you should remember to stir it occasionally ,you can add salt ,  a table spoon of sugar and  cinnamon to taste as per your choice, I prefer to have sour  taste  in fesenjan without cinnamon and sugar, the mixture should not be too thick or thin , when it is ready, serve it with plain rice,

Enjoy fesenjaan !