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Delicious Persian lamb stew served with herbs and pomegranate, accompanied by basmati rice.
Alyssa

Persian Lamb Stew

This Persian lamb stew recipe is packed with flavor! Tender cubes of lamb simmered with fragrant spices, ground walnuts, and pomegranate molasses.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Calories: 261
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 130 g walnuts toasted and ground
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 piece orange peel
  • 900 g diced lamb shoulder, fat trimmed
  • 90 g dried cranberries
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 500 ml chicken stock (or broth)
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley, to garnish
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint, to garnish
  • 450 g basmati rice
  • 5 pods cardamom
  • 1 leaf bay leaf
  • ½ stick cinnamon (additional)
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric (additional)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 950 ml hot vegetable stock (or water)

Method
 

  1. Toast your walnuts for maximum flavor. Transfer them to a mini chopper and grind to a fine powder.
  2. Heat olive oil and butter in your casserole until butter starts foaming. Add the onions, cover the pot and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel, cooking for a minute or two.
  4. Add the lamb, stirring to coat in the aromatic spices. Drizzle in the pomegranate molasses and honey.
  5. Add the dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
  6. Add the ground walnuts and cook on very low heat for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
  7. Discard the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and mint, serve with pomegranate seeds.

Notes

Enjoy this flavorful Persian lamb stew with basmati rice.