Khoresh-e Beh ba Aloo
Chicken stew with quince, sour plums and apricots
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee
- 2 medium quince (halved, sliced 1.5 inch thick and with core taken out)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 chicken thighs or a whole large chicken (approx. 2 kg - quartered) (on the bone, skin removed)
- 1 onion (finely diced)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground saffron (bloomed in 2 tbsp of water)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 500 ml water
- 1 heaped tsp corn flour (dissolved in 1 tsp of cold water)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 15 small dried apricots (soaked in hot water overnight)
- 20 dried bukhara sour plums (soaked in hot water overnight)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Take a frying pan, add the butter and place on a medium / high heat. Once the butter has melted, fry the quince until they caramelise on each side. Place them on a plate and put to one side.
- Season the chicken. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the same frying pan and seal the chicken by frying for a few minutes on each side. Once sealed, place on a plate and put to one side.
- Take a large casserole dish with a lid (minimum 3.5 litre capacity). Add 2 tbsp of oil and place on a medium / high heat. Then add the diced onions and fry until translucent.
- Add the turmeric and stir until evenly distributed.
- Add the water and the bloomed saffron. Then add the corn flour paste. Season the sauce to taste. Add the cinnamon stick.
- Drain the apricots and sour plums from the water they have soaked in and add to the pan with the honey. Stir gently and distribute the fruit evenly across the pan.
- Arrange the chicken and the quince in the saucepan. Quince cooks very quickly and can be quite mushy so arrange the quince so it partially rests on the thighs. Once the liquid starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and place the lid on the pan. Let the stew simmer for 40 mins to an 1 hr. Prior to serving, taste the stew and season further if required.
- Serve with chelow and Salad Shirazi; or mashed potatoes and some steamed green vegetables; or crusty bread.