KHORESH GHEYMEH خورش قیمهis a deliciously balanced Persian stew that is prepared with, lamb and yellow split peas, but the special ingredient is Limoo Amani Persian dried limes have a strong sour, citrus flavour and a deep, earthy fermented flavour which plays a big role in the amazing taste of Gheymeh.
The end result is simply just short of magic, with complex and rich multidimensional notes of sour and bitter accompanied by an intoxicating aroma.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4-6 (needless to say, I scaled it down for just the two of us. And still had plenty left over for the following day.)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and roughly diced
1kg of boneless lamb neck, diced into 3cm pieces
2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 generous pinches of saffron
150g of tomato purée
8 Persian dried whole limes
200g of split yellow peas
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
METHOD
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions until softened.
Increase the temperature and add the lamb pieces and fry for about five minutes, until the pieces are browned all over, stirring constantly to avoid the meat stewing.
Add the turmeric and stir well to ensure that the meat is completely coated. Do the same with the saffron and cinnamon. Then add the tomato purée and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Prick the limes with a fork, (This can be tricky) then add them to the stew.
Add enough water to just cover the meat and limes. Stir well, bring to a light boil and then turn the heat down low and cook for 1½ hours.
After 1½ hours add the yellow split peas, stir in well, and cook for a further hour.
Serve with basmati rice. and finally garnish the dish with thinly sliced potatoes, yes! chips. Panic not: they are delicious on top of the finished dish.
Original Recipe Sabrina Ghayour Persiana
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