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Delicious Persian lamb stew served in a bowl, garnished with herbs and pomegranate seeds, with fluffy basmati rice on the side.
Alyssa

Persian Lamb Stew

This Persian lamb stew recipe is rich in flavor, featuring tender 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 small 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
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 450 g basmati rice
  • 5 pods cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ stick cinnamon for rice
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric for rice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 950 ml hot vegetable stock (or water)

Method
 

  1. Toast your walnuts for maximum flavor. You can do this in the same casserole dish you make the stew in or in the oven. Once the walnuts start toasting, 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, stirring occasionally.
  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. If the pan gets dry, add a little of the stock and scrape any browned bits in the pan.
  5. Drizzle in the pomegranate molasses and honey. Add the dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
  6. Add the ground walnuts, stir to combine then cover the pot and cook on very low heat for about an hour.
  7. Discard the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and mint. Scatter jewel-like pomegranate seeds over the stew and serve.

Notes

Serve with basmati rice for a complete meal.