Khoresh Karafs

• servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb lamb/beef, cut into 1 in pieces

1 head of celery (7-8 stalks), chopped into ½ in pieces

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1 ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp black pepper

4 cups water

3-4 Persian dried limes (Limu Omani, can substitute lime/lemon juice to taste)

4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sear the chunks of meat until they are browned on all sides or the fond is about to burn. Remove the meat from the pan and add in the onions, reducing to medium heat. Cook these until they are becoming golden brown, and do the other steps during this process.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the celery, mint, and parsley and saute until the herbs begin darkening and become aromatic. Set aside.

Once the onion is almost down cooking, add in the turmeric and black pepper and stir to toast the spices. Add in the celery mixture and the meat with any accumulated juices.

Continue cooking the combined mixture for around 1 minute, then add in the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Pierce the dried limes with a fork and add them to the stews. Cook for about 10-20 minutes until they soften and depending on your preference. If using lemon/lime juice instead, add it at the very end to taste.

Remove from heat and season with salt to taste. Serve warm with rice.

Notes

A Persian celery stew, khoresh meaning ‘stew’ in Farsi. This stew is lightly spiced and is full of parsley and mint to balance out the acidity of the reconstituted dried limes. Very fragrant and unique