Persian cooking: recipes · Khoresht: stews (served with rice)

Khoresht-e Konger خورش کنگر

Stew of wild cardoons (konger), herbs and meat, a spring classic from western Iran.

⏱ 150 min

Ingredients

− +
  • 700 g lamb or beef (stewing cubes)
  • 3½ onions
  • 1¾ tsp turmeric
  • 875 g cardoons or artichoke hearts (instead of konger)
  • 1¾ bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 1¾ bunch fresh mint
  • 5¼ tbsp verjuice (sour grape juice) or lemon juice
  • 10½ tbsp oil
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Dice the onions and fry golden in 3 tbsp oil, add turmeric and the meat and brown. Cover with water, season with salt and braise covered for 1 hour.
  2. Trim the cardoons, cut into 3 cm pieces and blanch in salted water for 10 minutes.
  3. Fry the cardoons and finely chopped herbs in the remaining oil for 10 minutes.
  4. Add everything to the meat with the verjuice and simmer for 30 minutes. Season and serve with rice.