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Persian Lamb Stew
clara

Persian Lamb Stew

This Welsh lamb stew recipe is packed with so much flavour! Melt in the mouth cubes of lamb simmered with fragrant spices, ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses – my take on Persian Lamb Stew. Easy to make on the hob, Instant Pot or slow cooker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Calories: 1565
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

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 stick cinnamon
  • 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 leaf bay
  • ½ stick cinnamon (for rice)
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 950 ml hot vegetable stock (or water)

Equipment

  • Casserole dish or heavy-bottomed pot
  • Mini chopper or food processor
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Lidded pot or saucepan
  • Measuring spoons
  • Instant Pot or slow cooker (optional)

Method
 

Instructions
  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. Either way watch them like a hawk lest they burn. 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. Don’t let them color or catch.
  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. Open the casserole and give the stew a good stir every 20 minutes or so to make sure the walnuts are not sticking. By the the of your cooking time most of the liquid will have cooked down and the stew will be thick and glossy brown.
  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.
  8. To make golden rice, heat a tablespoon of butter in a lidded pot. Stir in the ground turmeric, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, salt and a bay leaf. Stir to allow the spices to infuse the butter.
  9. Add the rice (no need to rinse) to the pot and stir to coat in the fragrant butter.
  10. Add hot vegetable stock (or water) it should start simmering straight away. Stir once then cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to lowest setting. Leave to cook for 10 minutes without opening the pot.
  11. Remove the lid and check the rice - almost all of the liquid should have been absorbed. Stir once with a gentle folding action.
  12. Take the pot off the heat, cover with the lid and leave for another ten minutes for soft fluffy rice. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom pods. Season to taste and serve.