Khoreshe Gheyme - Persian Stewed Red Meat with Yellow Split Peas

This Koresh is a tomato based khoresh that is the most popular/typical of khoresh in Iran. Everyone makes it, everyone eats it. Hope you enjoy it!

Serves about 8-10

Takes about 1 hour to prepare and 4-5 hours to simmer

 F U N D A B B L E R  F A C T 

Limoo Omani or Black lime is prepared by boiling lime in salt water then sun drying them. They are later ground or used whole in dishes, mostly Middle Easter of origin. 

 I N G R E D I E N T S 

BEEF

Beef cubes - 1 lb cut into about 1 inch cubes (leads to about 20 cubes)

Onions - 1 chopped

Turmeric - 1 teaspoon

Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt and pepper to taste

BASE

Yellow Split peas - 1 1/2 cup

Tomato paste - 1 small can (5.5 oz)

Fresh tomatoes - about 3 medium sized

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon - pinch

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Powder (Can substitute with lemon juice) - Powder: 2 tablespoons OR Juice: 3 tablespoons

Beef cubes  - about 2 lbs (20 1 inch cubes of beef or lamb)

TO TOP

Julien chips or make your own by:

Potatoes - about 3 fist sized julienned finely for the top of your dish when served.

 I N S T R U C T I O N S 

FRYING THE MEAT

Add your meat in the oil, make sure they are cut into bite-size pieces. 

Add your diced onions, turmeric, cinnamon salt and pepper. Fry until cooked and a bit browned. Set aside.

In the same pot you will be making your stew, add in about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and warm. Add your yellow split peas (after having washed well) and "toast". This step is curtail, otherwise your split peas will still taste raw. So once they start barely smelling cooked (not browned)  (this might take a while because they will be wet so you will have to get rid of the water it soaked up when you cleaned them). Set them aside.

Chop your tomatoes roughly, about the same size as your beef cubes (1 inch cubes) and just fry a bit. They are just being warmed. Depending on your pot you may need some more oil. Don't hesitate to add another tablespoon or so in. 

Then add your tomato paste with another tablespoon of oil and fry. All for the same reason: to make it taste richer and less raw. Now you can add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and a pinch of cinnamon along with some pepper. You can add salt but because I am using tomato paste from a can, I know it already contains enough sodium. Your choice! Stir until you can really start smelling everything come together! YUM!

Then add your already fried beef cubes and 2 cups boiling water (enough to cover the mixture) and let the beef simmer while it marries with the tomato paste base. 

After about 2 hours of simmering, add in your split peas. You will need to add another cup of boiling water at this point. Your water will decrease significantly because it will be absorbed by the split peas. So you will need to supervise a bit more stirring more occasionally than not. The split peas tend to stick to the bottom of the pot so avoid burning by stirring. Always keep on a low simmer. 

At this point I usually add my lemon powder. Below you can see the process, a lime is dried, then seeded, then put into powder form. Traditionally you can also cut some slits into the whole dried lime and put it in your khoresh, at the same time you put in your split peas, but the powder is easier and you don't have the possibility of bitter lime seeds that make its way into your mouth.

After a couple more hours your meat should be tender, check by seeing if you can cut it with a spoon on the side of your pot. If so it is ready to serve! Now for the final touch:

THE JULIENNE CHIPS

Julienne your potatoes, or just make real thin french fries. Rinse it. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Fry in some nice hot vegetable oil. Remember take them out one step before perfect as the hot oil will keep cooking and frying your potatoes.

Be sure you don't allow them to stick.

Serve on  some beautiful basmati white rice. Top with some mini french fries or julienne chips and enjoy!