Ingredients
- 1kg
Beef or lamb
You could also use chicken - 2
Onions
- 300g
Yellow peas
- 1 tablespoon
Turmeric
- 2 tablespoons
Tomato paste
- 5
Limoo amani (dried limes)
- 4
Potatoes
- 1 teaspoon
Saffron (optional)
- 400g
Rice
Directions
Khoresh Gheymeh (or Gheimeh), also known as polo Gheymeh (polo meaning rice), is a traditional Persian stew very popular in Iran.
Materials needed for the recipe of Khoresh Gheymeh:
- A large pressure cooker
- A fryer for fries. For less fatty fries, I use this one which is an oil-free air fryer!
- A rice cooker
- A peeler
The word Gheymeh is due to the way of cutting the meat into small cubes unlike other Persian Khoresh which have larger pieces of meat. Traditionally, Gheymeh is made with lamb or beef (you could also try to use white meat like chicken for example), split peas yellow gradient “lapeh dir paz”, onions, tomato paste, potatoes as well as Limoo Amani (Iranian dried lemons).
The Limoo Amani have an important role in the taste of Khoresh Gheymeh, they give really a Persian touch to this dish. If you cannot find them in stores, you can put lime juice instead and your dish will be almost as good!
Regarding the potatoes, they must be peeled and cut into thin slices and then rinsed with cold water to remove the starch so that the quarters do not stick to each other during frying. Before frying in hot oil, you can mix your potato wedges with saffron but this is optional. Following you can decorate your stew with fried potatoes similar to French fries.
This Iranian dish is quite easy to cook and is very popular in Iran. Indeed, the Khoresh Gheymeh is also served in the Islamic holy months of Muharram and Ramadan of the Hikri Muslim lunar calendar. The Persians even serve this dish like “Nazri” (meaning “free food”) during that month after having it cooked in large quantities. This traditional Iranian dish is served with white rice or aromatic rice. You can also serve this delicious stew with Shirazi salad or even Mast-o- Khiar as a starter.
This Khoresht is full of different flavors that complement each other perfectly, so go ahead and indulge in a homemade Khoresh Gheymeh!
Steps
1 Done | Cut the meat into cubes and mince the onions. Melt a knob of butter in a large casserole dish over medium heat and add the meat, chopped onions, turmeric and black pepper. Grill for 10 minutes. |
2 Done | Cover everything with water (about 3 glasses), cover the casserole dish and cook over low / medium heat for 30 minutes until the meat is tender. |
3 Done | Cleaning and pre-cooking yellow peasMeanwhile, rinse the yellow peas in cold water and pre-cook them in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes with a bit of salt until they are quite tender but still firm. |
4 Done | Add to the meat: the tomato paste, the yellow peas, 2 tablespoons of butter, 5 limoo amani (or lemon juice if you do not have any), a teaspoon of saffron and let it simmer for several hours. (2h minimum) |
5 Done | Preparation of french friesWhile the Khoresh Gheymeh is simmering gently, peel your potatoes and cut them into small fries. |
6 Done | Heat some frying oil in a pan or deep fryer and fry your fries for 10 to 15 minutes until golden color. |
7 Done | Tasting of Khoresh gheymehServe your Persian rice (or basmati rice), add the Khoresh Gheymeh and sprinkle it with fries. |
