Khoresh Karafs
Lamb, herb and celery stew
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250 g fresh parsley
- 150 g fresh mint
- 1 large head of celery (about 7 to 10 stalks cut into 2 to 3 inch chunks)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 0.6 to 1 kg lamb on the bone (preferably leg, portioned into chunks approx. 2 to 3 inches width)
- 600 ml water or vegetable stock
- 1/8 tsp ground saffron (bloomed in 2 tbsp of water)
- Juice of 1 to 2 fresh limes
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Gather and Prepare the Ingredients
- Remove woody stems from herbs and discard. Wash herbs and place on a tea towel and dab them dry.
- Finely chop herbs either by hand or using a food processor and set to one side until ready to use.
- Finely dice your onion. Take the celery and chop into 2 inch chunks.
Prepare the Stew
- Take a casserole dish / saucepan which has a lid and a minimum capacity of 3.5 litres and place over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and brown lamb and remove from pan.
- Add diced onions to pan and cook until they turn golden. Add crushed garlic cloves and stir, being careful that the garlic does not turn brown or burn.
- Add lamb, then turmeric and stir until distributed evenly.
- Add water or vegetable stock and bloomed saffron (the liquid should just cover the meat so adjust if necessary). Place lid on pan and turn down heat to low and let simmer.
Saute the Celery and Herbs
- Take a frying pan and add 1 tbsp of oil and place over medium-low heat. Add chopped herbs and stir until the herb mix has softened, being careful not to burn it. A few minutes will suffice. Then add the herb mix to the lamb and stir. Replace the lid.
- Sauté celery over medium heat in frying pan used for the herbs with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil for no more than a few minutes. Just enough for the celery to take on some heat from the pan but not soften. Turn the heat off under your frying pan and add celery to the lamb and herb mixture.
Cook and Season the Stew
- After 5 minutes of simmering, add the fresh lime juice (start with half the lime and then add more), salt and pepper and adjust according to taste.
- Continue simmering the stew for a minimum of an hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes and checking the softness of the meat - ideally you want the meat to be falling off the bone.