Persian Lamb With Split Peas Recipes

ABGOOSHT (PERSIAN LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• The night before you plan to cook, season the lamb with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Place chickpeas and beans in a medium bowl; add 3 cups water and a generous pinch of salt. Refrigerate overnight.
• To cook: Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat. Add lamb, onions, tomato paste and 8 cups water. Drain chickpeas and beans and add to pot. Bring to a boil, stir to dissolve tomato paste, and cover pot partially with a lid. Reduce heat and simmer stew for 2 hours.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and Omani limes to pot and continue simmering until potatoes and meat are both completely tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper.
• Remove limes from pot, and one by one, juice them into the soup through a sieve by pressing down on them with a spoon. (Avoid letting the seeds through the sieve, as they can be bitter.) Taste the broth after juicing each lime and add just enough so that the broth is tangy and bright.
• Use the sieve to remove the meat, potatoes and beans from the pot and transfer them to a large bowl. Use a fork to pull the meat off the bones. If any of the bones have marrow, use a skewer to remove it and add to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mash meat, beans and potatoes into a soft, uniform paste - this is called goosht kubideh, literally "mashed meat." If the mixture appears dry, add a few spoonfuls of broth and continue to mash until unctuous and smooth. Taste the paste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and Omani lime juice, as needed.
• To serve, bring broth and goosht kubideh to the table, along with bowls of liteh pickles, salad-e Shirazi, warmed sangak bread, fresh herbs and, if you like, doogh. All of the sides serve as palate cleansers to balance the richness of the dish.
• Traditionally, the broth is eaten first with sangak bread, which can hold up to the broth without disintegrating. Typically, the bread is torn into bite-size pieces and added to broth to soak for a couple of minutes before digging in. This process is called tilit.
• Serve the goosht kubideh separately after everyone has had a bowl of broth. Traditionally the meat paste is made into small sandwiches with fresh herbs, and eaten with alternate bites of salad-e Shirazi and liteh pickle. Leftover goosht kubideh makes for a great sandwich or baby food, and freezes well for up to 2 weeks.

PERSIAN BEEF-AND-SPLIT-PEA STEW

Steps:

• Cook onions in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pat meat dry and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high, then add meat, saffron, and turmeric to onions and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in water and tomatoes, then simmer, covered, 1 hour.
• Stir in split peas, tomato paste, Omani lemons (if using), cinnamon, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more. Discard Omani lemons and stir in salt and Key lime juice to taste.

PERSIAN LAMB WITH SPLIT PEAS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pan or flameproof casserole and fry the onion for 3-4 minutes, till golden, stirring occasionally.
• add the meat and cook over high heat for another 3-4 minutes, till browned.
• add turmeric, cinnamon and curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• stir in the water, season well and bring to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat for about 35 minutes.
• stir saffron into 1 T boiling water.
• add the saffron liquid to the meat with the split peas, dried limes* and tomatoes. Stir well, then simmer covered for a further 35-50 minutes, till meat is completely tender and split peas are soft.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, till cooked and golden.
• lift out the dried lime and discard. spoon the meat on to a warmed serving dish and scatter the sauteed potatoes on top.
• Serve with cooked rice.

LAMB AND YELLOW SPLIT PEA STEW

Steps:

• Heat butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook meat, onion, salt, pepper, and spices, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add lime juice and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Add split peas and simmer, covered, until peas are falling apart and meat is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Keep warm, partially covered.
• Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry potato in 2 batches, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer potato with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
• Fold fried potato into stew just before serving, or serve it on top.

SLOW-ROAST PERSIAN LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic.
• Scatter the onion over a casserole dish or a deep roasting tin.
• Place the lamb on top of the onions.
• Pour the glaze over the lamb. Rinse the bowl out with about 200ml water, then pour it around - not over - the lamb.
• Cover the dish with a lid or the tin with a large piece of foil.
• Roast the lamb, undisturbed, for 3 hrs, then remove the lid or foil and continue to roast for 30 mins to give the lamb colour.
• When the lamb has had its time, pour off the juices, remove as much fat as possible, then pour the juices back over the lamb.
• Just before serving, gently toss all the salad ingredients together.
• Serve the lamb with its sauce, the salad and some warmed flatbreads.