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Khoresh-e havij
Carrot and lamb stew
خورش هویج (khoresh-e havij): Tabriz carrot and lamb stew with saffron and a sweet-sour finish
Tabriz cooks in Iranian Azerbaijan like their stews a little sweet, and khoresh-e havij is a winter weeknight dish there and in Tehran, made with thin batons of carrot fried until they caramelise. The lamb cooks soft in a turmeric and onion broth, then the carrots go in with saffron, a spoon of sugar and lemon, giving a bright orange, gently tangy stew. Serve it with chelow and a green salad. The common slip is cutting the carrots thick; they stay hard and never take on the sauce, so cut them like matchsticks. Chef's tip: a handful of yellow split peas, added with the water, makes it more filling, as many Tabrizi families do.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz lamb shouldercut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 2 onionsfinely sliced
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 ⅓ lb carrotscut into thin 5 cm batons
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp saffron threadsground and steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat half of 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and fry 2 onions until golden.
12 minStep 2: Add 16 oz lamb shoulder, 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp black pepper and brown on all sides.
6 minStep 3: Add 3 cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt, bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer until the lamb is nearly tender.
50 minStep 4: Heat the rest of 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 ⅓ lb carrots, stirring, until they soften and catch a little colour at the edges. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp sugar and fry 1 minute more until glossy.
10 minStep 5: Add the carrots and ¼ tsp saffron threads to the pot. Cover and simmer until the carrots are tender and the lamb breaks with a spoon.
20 minStep 6: Stir in 3 tbsp lemon juice, taste for balance and simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes, until the sauce coats the carrots. Serve with rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khoresh-e havij take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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