Persian Chicken Kidney Bean Stew Recipes

GHORMEH SABZI (PERSIAN HERB STEW)

Steps:

• Rinse the herbs and drain well. Chop herbs very finely.Tip: Spin herbs in a salad spinner or pat dry.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a cooking pot at medium setting. Sauté onions until light golden brown.
• Add meat, turmeric, black pepper and brown it a little. Then add some salt and 3 cups water and bring it to a boil.
• Lower the heat, add the drained beans and simmer for 30 mins.Tip: Cook longer if using beef.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the herbs and sauté for 20 to 25 minutes until you can smell the aroma of sautéed herbs. Make sure to stir in between.
• Then add sautéed herbs and simmer the stew for 30 minutes.
• Next, add the pierced dried limes and simmer for another 30 to 60 minutes until the meat and beans are tender.Tip: Add dried lime powder or lime juice in the last half hour adjusting as per your taste.
• The stew should be thick and not runny. Adjust the consistency, salt, lime and other seasonings.
• Serve Ghormeh Sabzi hot with steamed rice.

PERSIAN CHICKEN KIDNEY BEAN STEW RECIPE

Steps:

• To begin making the Persian Chicken Kidney Bean Stew Recipe, we will soak the rajma beans overnight.
• Pressure cook the rajma, along with a little salt and enough water for about 30 minutes until it is soft and well cooked.
• Heat a pressure cooker on medium heat with oil, add cloves of garlic and saute till they soften. Add in chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent and become slightly golden.
• Add washed chicken pieces and saute till the pieces are lightly roasted. Add in chopped parsley, coriander leaves, dried fenugreek leaves, dried oregano, salt to taste, turmeric powder and red chilli powder as well.
• Keep sautéing until the leaves wilt. Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook for around 3 whistles until the chicken is cooked well.
• Once done allow the pressure to release naturally. Stir in the cooked rajma and check the salt and seasonings. Give the Persian stew a brisk boil and turn off the heat.
• Transfer the Persian Chicken Kidney Bean Stew into a serving bowl and serve hot.
• Serve the Persian Chicken Kidney Bean Stew Recipe along with some Mexican Brown Rice and Quinoa and fresh vegetables salad by the side for your Sunday Dinner Meal.

KHORESH-E FESENJOON (PERSIAN CHICKEN STEW WITH POMEGRANATE AND WALNUTS)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts out on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown inside, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Remove chicken skin and discard or save for another use. In a large bowl, season the chicken with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add oil and carefully lay chicken thighs into the pot in a single layer. It is crucial to leave space between the pieces to allow steam to escape, so brown chicken in batches if necessary. Cook until browned on both sides, flipping halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Add onion to pot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes.
• In a food processor, grind the cooled walnuts as finely as possible without turning them into a paste. (Alternatively, you can chop the walnuts as finely as possible by hand.) Add 2 cups pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup molasses to the walnuts and continue blending until you have a very smooth paste.
• Add the walnut paste and remaining pomegranate juice to the pot. Season with salt and partly cover with a lid. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 hours. If the sauce begins to stick, stir in 1/4 cup water. The sauce will thicken and change color as it cooks, turning a deep, dark brown, similar to mole poblano.
• Add the saffron, and taste the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and pomegranate molasses as needed. The sauce should be delightfully sweet and sour, so add up to 2 teaspoons sugar, if needed, if it's too tart.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until chicken is falling off the bone. Keep stirring regularly - the sauce should be thick, but not so thick that it sticks to the bottom of the pot, so add a splash of water as needed to prevent burning. Use a large spoon to skim away any walnut oil that has pooled on top of the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a sprinkling of fresh pomegranate seeds. Serve hot, with Persian rice, mast-o khiar and salad-e Shirazi if you like.

GHORMEH SABZI (PERSIAN HERB STEW)

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in turmeric for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chuck cubes; cook until coated in turmeric and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a separate pot over medium heat. Add spinach, green onions, parsley, cilantro, chives, and fenugreek leaves; cook and stir until deep dark green in color, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir spinach mixture into the onion and chuck mixture. Pour in enough water to create a slurry consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in lemon juice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer stew until greens soften, about 1 hour.
• Pierce dried limes with a fork and add to the stew. Continue simmering until chuck is tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in red kidney beans. Cook until flavors combine, about 30 minutes. Discard dried limes before serving.

BEAN AND GREEN HERB STEW

Steps:

• Drain the kidney beans and rinse. Place in a large saucepan and add 1 quart fresh water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any foam. Add the bay leaf, halved onion, 1 of the garlic cloves, and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf and halved onion and discard.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to color. Turn the heat to low, add a generous pinch of salt and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onion is dark brown and has melted down to about half its original volume, about 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans with their broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partly covered, for 30 to 60 minutes, until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt.
• Add the spinach by the handful, stirring until wilted before adding the next handful, until all of the spinach has been added. Stir in the herbs and scallions. Using a needle, pierce the limes in a few places and add them along with 1/2 cup of their soaking water (if you aren't using the limes, just add an additional 1/2 cup water). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the greens and herbs are tender but still bright. Taste and adjust salt. Add pepper. Remove the dried limes before serving.
• Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze fresh lemon juice into each bowl.

CHICKEN 'N KIDNEY BEAN STEW

Steps:

• In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook chicken, onion and garlic in oil until chicken loses it's pink color. Add tomatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, picante sauce, cumin, coriander, salt, oregano and beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add green pepper. Continue to simmer about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

PERSIAN HERB, RED BEAN & LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Put the dried red kidney beans in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hr.
• Heat a flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat for a few minutes before adding 2 tbsp oil. Season the lamb and sear on all sides until golden brown, then remove to a plate. Fry the onions over a low heat for 8-10 mins until soft and translucent.
• Drain and rinse the soaked kidney beans, then add them to the onions along with the turmeric and dried limes. Stir to coat in the spiced oil, then return the lamb to the casserole. Pour over 1 litre water, or enough to cover the lamb, and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, then turn down to a simmer. Leave the lamb to gently braise for 1 hr.
• Put the coriander and parsley in a food processor and blitz to chop finely (you can also do this by hand, but the finer the herbs, the better the stew's flavour and consistency).
• In a separate frying pan over a medium heat, fry the leeks in the remaining 1 tbsp oil for 6-8 mins until softened. Stir in the fenugreek leaves, blitzed herbs and chives - it is sometimes easier to add these in batches. Fry for 5 mins until the herbs are dark green (this removes moisture and deepens the flavour).
• Once the lamb has braised for 1 hr, add the leek and herb mixture along with 250-500ml hot water to loosen, stirring well. Braise for a further 2 hrs, or until the lamb is completely tender and falling off the bone. Add a dash of hot water to loosen if the sauce has thickened too much - I prefer it to be almost broth-like, but that is personal preference. Season to taste (a good pinch or two of sea salt is essential) and, depending on the acidity from the dried limes, add a squeeze of lime juice for a fresh finish.

KHORESH-E GHORMEH SABZI (PERSIAN HERB, BEAN AND LAMB STEW)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, season the meat with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Rinse the beans and place in a medium bowl with 1 cup water and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, place a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil. When it shimmers, add meat and cook, turning regularly so that it browns evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. Once the meat has browned, move it to the edges of the pot and add the onion to the center of the pot, along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion begins to soften and turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain the beans and add to the pot, stirring to combine everything and coat the beans with oil. Add 4 cups water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
• In the meantime, prepare the herbs: Wash parsley and cilantro, then use a salad spinner to dry very well. Remove and discard the tough stems. Chop the leaves and tender stems very, very finely, or feel free to use a food processor to get these herbs as finely chopped as possible. The more finely chopped the herbs, the more green and unctuous the ghormeh sabzi will be.
• Separately chop the chives and entire bunch of scallions (including the green tops) as finely as possible by hand. These, too, must be very finely chopped - nearly minced - but they will turn to mush in a food processor and thus should be chopped by hand.
• Set a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the scallion-chive mixture. Allow to wilt, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, then add remaining chopped herbs and fenugreek leaves, crushing the fenugreek leaves between your fingers as you add them. Cook, stirring continuously, until the herbs are wilted and very dark green - but not burned - and they give off a bright green oil when pressed with a spoon, 18 to 20 minutes. This step is crucial to the flavor and color of the stew. You'll know the herbs are ready when they feel dry and emit a strong, savory aroma.
• When the meat has cooked for 2 hours, add the cooked herb mixture, Omani limes and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for another hour. Check on the limes occasionally to make sure they are submerged in the stew but not falling apart. Gently push them into the stew if they're still floating after 20 minutes.
• As the stew nears the 3-hour mark, remove the lid and check the meat; it should be very tender. If the ghormeh sabzi seems a little watery, leave it uncovered for the last 20 minutes of cooking and allow to reduce into a thick stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If the stew needs a little acidity, juice a lime into the stew through a sieve by pressing down on it with a spoon (avoid letting the seeds through the sieve, as they can be bitter). Set aside. Taste the stew and continue adding more lime juice until the stew is sufficiently tangy. Stir in the saffron. The stew should be a very deep, dark shade of green and quite thick when done. Return dried limes into the stew to serve.
• Serve hot with Persian rice and mast-o khiar.