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Turshu govurma
Lamb with chestnuts and dried fruit
Turşu qovurma: Lankaran lamb fried with chestnuts, dried fruit and sour pomegranate
Turshu govurma, 'sour fry', is a rich southern dish from Lankaran and Masalli: lamb browned in butter or oil, then cooked slowly with onions, chestnuts, dried apricots, sour plums and a good pour of narsharab pomegranate sauce until dark, glossy and sweet-sour. It is served on top of plov at weddings or on its own with bread. A common mistake is adding the dried fruit too early, which turns it to mush. Chef's tip: finish with a pinch of saffron water and a handful of fresh pomegranate seeds, which brighten the dark sauce.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the govurma
- 1 ½ lb lamb shoulderboneless, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 5 ½ oz cooked peeled chestnuts
- 2 ⅞ oz dried apricots
- 2 ⅛ oz dried sour plums or prunes
- 4 tbsp narsharab pomegranate sauce
- 1 pinch saffron threadssoaked in 1 tbsp hot water
- 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Season 1 ½ lb lamb shoulder with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Brown in 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pan over a high heat in 2 batches, 4–5 minutes each.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 onions and fry for 6 minutes, until soft. Pour in 1 ¼ cups hot water, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
50 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz cooked peeled chestnuts, 2 ⅞ oz dried apricots, 2 ⅛ oz dried sour plums or prunes and 4 tbsp narsharab pomegranate sauce and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. Common mistake: adding the fruit at the start; it falls apart.
15 minStep 4: Stir in 1 pinch saffron threads, scatter with 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds and serve with plov or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does turshu govurma take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 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.
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