Ghaymeh (Persian Black-Lime & Tomato Stew)

Name: Ghaymeh (Persian Black-Lime & Tomato Stew)
Yield: 3-4
Ingredients: 2 lb bone-in meat of choice (oxtail / lamb shanks / chicken quarters / whole roasted eggplants and or okra for a vegetarian option); ½ cup yellow split peas, rinsed 2-3 times; 2 medium sized yellow onions, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; 4 fresh Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 Tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp turmeric powder; ½ tsp Advieh or Garam Masala; 1 pinch saffron, finely ground; 1 stick of cinnamon or ½ tsp cinnamon powder; 4 Amani limes, lightly cracked open or 1-1 ½ Tbsp ground Black Lime; 1 quart chicken or beef stock (or use just water for a lighter meat-free broth); 1 lime, juiced; Salt &amp; fresh cracked pepper to taste; 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil for frying

Image of Ghaymeh (Persian Black-Lime & Tomato Stew) — Photo by Aryan Seyedin

Servings

3-4

Prep Time

10-15 minutes

Cook Time

1-4 hour

"- Start your stew the day before. Almost every Persian stew benefits from being rested overnight. Due to the nature of our stews, we have so many amino acids packed into one dish, that the pure process of allowing the ingredients to break done further overnight creates a flavor and texture from our dishes the following day that is often incomparable to the fresh made/day-of stew.

- Take your time. This is true for most recipes – take your time, don’t rush things, allow your stew to develop in stages. You’re making the outstanding decision to cook – good food has no shortcuts. Be patient, be present, be involved."

Author:

Behzad Jamshidi

Ingredients

2 lb bone-in meat of choice (oxtail / lamb shanks / chicken quarters / whole roasted eggplants and or okra for a vegetarian option)
½ cup yellow split peas, rinsed 2-3 times
2 medium sized yellow onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 fresh Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp Advieh or Garam Masala
1 pinch saffron, finely ground
1 stick of cinnamon or ½ tsp cinnamon powder
4 Amani limes, lightly cracked open or 1-1 ½ Tbsp ground Black Lime
1 quart chicken or beef stock (or use just water for a lighter meat-free broth)
1 lime, juiced
Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp of olive oil for frying

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Meanwhile, in an oven safe, heavy base pot, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil until smoking – a Dutch oven would be ideal for this. Meanwhile, season generously all sides of your protein with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Carefully place your bone-in meat away from you into the pan, and allow the meat to caramelize for 2-3 minutes before turning over and continuing to caramelize for another 2-3 minutes on the opposite side. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside until later.
Turn the heat of your pot on medium low, while reserving the existing oil in the pot, add onions with a small pinch of salt; this helps pull moisture out of the onions, and encourages them not to over caramelize. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute until the garlic is aromatic. Add tomato paste and turmeric powder and cook out for another 2-3 minutes until the tomato paste darkens and slightly caramelizes. Add fresh tomatoes, and cook until soft and almost dissolved, about 5 minutes. You should have something resembling a paste.
Add cinnamon, saffron, Advieh, stock and yellow split lentils. Give a good stir to combine. It is important to impart flavor into the braise while it cooks, so season lightly to taste with salt and black pepper.
Add your meat and limes into the braising liquid, top with additional water or stock to assure it's completely covered. Once at a boil, cover with a tightly fitting lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven for a minimum of 1 hour if you’re braising something smaller like chicken quarters and up to 4 hours for something bigger like an oxtail or lamb shank. The longer you allow your strew to go, the more tender the result.
Once your meat is tender to your liking, add the juice of one lime and any additional salt or pepper if necessary. Serve with rice, couscous or crusty Middle Eastern bread.