Stews in Iran

In addition to the kebab and rarely in place of it, we would be offered special stews. These were the items on the menu that I treasured the most.

Pomegranate stew (Fesenjan) is made with chicken or little meatballs. This one in Tehran has meatballs. If there is a national dish, it is this. The second photo is my version of Chicken with Pomegranate Sauce (Khoreshe Fesenjan). If you click on the recipe title, you'll go to the post on this blog.

Yellow split pea stew with lamb often decorated with French fries, in Tehran. In Yazd, the chef added a bit of cinnamon which added a nice touch.

Here is my version of this wonderful dish, shown above, called Lamb Khoresht with Split Peas and Fried Potatoes.

Herb stew with red beans and lamb, in Yazd, slightly off kilter and not because I had been drinking. The round shapes are dried limes.

Here's my recipe for the above called Fresh Herb Stew (Khoresh-e Qormeh Sabzi).

Lamb with sliced almonds, dried limes, and barberries, in Kermanshah. You can tell I had already been piling this onto my plate of rice. The round shape is a dried lime, used for flavoring, which is usually not eaten. I ate this one and it was delicious.

Tabrizi meatball the size of a baseball with a plum inside, at a restaurant in Tabriz. I couldn't eat all of it, obviously, but I got to the plum.

Eggplant stew with kashk drizzled on top, in Zanjan at the caravanserai restaurant.  Kashk is a yogurt product. You can find it in jars at a Persian deli.

Here is my recipe for Eggplant with Traditional Whey. I made a double recipe for a recent dinner party. It was the favorite dish of the meal.