michelle picker cooks

This wonderful lamb stew or khoresht is fragrant with herbs and tangy with dried limes. The recipe (only slightly adapted) comes from Saraban A chef’s journey through Persia by Greg and Lucy Malouf.

In a casserole dish or Tagine heat some olive oil over low heat and fry 1 diced onion and 1 diced leek until soft and translucent. Add 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric and ½ a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 450g (1 lb) of diced lamb and turn up the heat to brown the meat briefly. Add 1 cup each of chopped parsley and coriander (cilantro), ⅓ of a cup of chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves, ½ a teaspoon of slightly crushed fenugreek seeds, 2 whole dried limes and 4 cups of good chicken stock. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour then add 1 can of drained kidney beans. Cover again and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender. As the limes soften, squash them against the side of the pot to release their juices. Towards the end of the cooking time stir in some blanched fresh silverbeet (chard) or spinach. Allow the stew to bubble and reduce a little for 5 minutes then season with 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) and the juice of 1 lemon. Serve the stew with rice and yoghurt.