Tas Kebab Persian Lamb And Vegetable Stew Recipes

TAS KEBAP (A GREEK BEEF OR LAMB STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium neat until hot and saute the cubes of meat, in batches, until browned; remove with a slotted spoon as the meat browns.
• In the oil in which you have just browned the meat, add the onions and garlic and saute until just starting to turn golden, about 6-7 minutes; return the meat to the saucepan.
• Add the pureed tomatoes, sugar, wine, parsley, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf and cloves and season to taste; cover pot and simmer on low until meat is fork-tender- this could take anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours; fish out the 2 cloves; if, at any time, the gravy has reduced too much (there should always be some thick liquid), add hot water in 1/4 cupfuls.
• You should be left with very tender meat in a thick, rich sauce, into which the onions have melted.
• Serve with a rice ring: molded buttered rice, cooked egg noodles, french-fried potatoes or Hunkar Begendi (recipe#95402).

TAS KEBAB (PERSIAN LAMB AND VEGETABLE STEW)

Steps:

• Pour oil into a pot. Cover the bottom of the pot with onions; add lamb. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon.
• Layer garlic, ginger, prunes, carrots, quince, eggplant, and tomato onto the seasoned lamb. Sprinkle with 1 pinch of salt. Pour in water, tomato juice, and lemon juice.
• Cook, covered, over low heat, until lamb is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and cover. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

TAS KEBAB (PERSIAN LAMB AND VEGETABLE STEW)

Steps:

• Pour oil into a pot. Cover the bottom of the pot with onions; add lamb. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon.
• Layer garlic, ginger, prunes, carrots, quince, eggplant, and tomato onto the seasoned lamb. Sprinkle with 1 pinch of salt. Pour in water, tomato juice, and lemon juice.
• Cook, covered, over low heat, until lamb is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and cover. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

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.