Khoresh Gheymeh (Meat and Split Pea Stew)
Updated Feb. 25, 2025
- Total Time
- 2½ hours plus 1 hour soaking
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes, plus 1 hour soaking
- Cook Time
- 2¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup/100 grams slow-cooking Iranian lappeh, chana dal or yellow split peas, picked through and rinsed
- ¼cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1large yellow onion, very finely chopped
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1pound lamb or beef stew meat (see Tip), cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3tablespoons good-quality tomato paste
- 1(3-inch) cinnamon stick
- Large pinch saffron threads
- Sugar, if needed
- 4limoo Ammani (dried limes; see Tip), rinsed and dried, or 3 to 4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
- Lime juice or lemon juice, as needed
- Basmati rice or polo ba tahdig, for serving
- 1large Yukon Gold potato (8 ounces), peeled, cut into matchsticks and soaked in cold water
- 2cups vegetable oil
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color)
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
For the Stew
For the Fried Potatoes (or Use Store-bought Crunchy Potato Sticks; See Tip)
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Preparation
- Step 1
Start the stew: Place the lappeh or chana dal in a bowl and cover with 3 cups cold water.
- Step 2
While the lappeh soaks, in a kettle or a saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil and keep at a lively simmer. In a large (5-quart) Dutch oven or similar pot, heat ¼ cup of oil over medium. Add the onion, give a quick stir to coat, and cook without stirring until the onion starts to turn golden at the edges and decreases in volume, 6 to 8 minutes. Begin to stir frequently and keep cooking until mostly golden throughout, 4 to 6 minutes more.
- Step 3
Season the onion with a little salt, add the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the meat, give a quick stir to coat in the onion mixture, spread evenly over the bottom of the pot and don’t touch for 1 minute. Then cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Step 4
Adjust heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste releases its color into the oil, 2 to 3 minutes. (This step is very important for the final hue of the stew.) Add the cinnamon stick, give a quick stir and pour in enough boiling water to cover the meat. (You’ll use 2½ to 3 cups water; reserve the rest for later.) Bring to a boil, stir, cover, adjust heat to low and gently simmer, stirring once in a while, for 1 hour, until the meat is tender.
- Step 5
While the meat simmers, prepare the saffron water: Using a mortar and pestle (or a spice grinder), grind the saffron to a fine powder (you will have a scant ¼ teaspoon). If needed, add a small pinch of sugar to the threads to help with grinding. Add 2 tablespoons of the boiled water, gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use. (If using a spice grinder, transfer the powdered saffron to a small glass to steep.)
- Step 6
Soak the limoo Ammani: Firmly hold one limoo Ammani at a time on a board and, with a fork or the tip of a paring knife, carefully puncture it a couple of times. Place in a small bowl, cover with boiled water and place another small bowl on top to submerge the limes. Let soak for 15 minutes to remove their bitterness. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
- Step 7
Parcook the lappeh: In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium. Drain the lappeh, transfer to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes (avoid overcooking, which would toughen the peas). Cover with 4 cups of the boiled water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high, adjust to a simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until the peas are al dente, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Step 8
When the meat has simmered for 1 hour, add the parcooked lappeh, drained limoo Ammani and 1 tablespoon of the saffron water to the stew, adjust heat to medium and bring back to a rapid simmer. Cover, adjust heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, occasionally using the back of a wooden spoon to gently squeeze the limoo Ammani against the side of the pot, until the stew comes to life: The lappeh are tender but maintain their shape, the oils have risen to the surface and the flavors have come together. As the stew simmers, taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Step 9
Remove the cinnamon stick, stir in the remaining saffron water and add lime juice to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the consistency of the stew is not too thick and not too runny. (You should be able to spoon the sauce over rice.) Adjust as needed: Add just-boiled water to thin out a little, or simmer uncovered to thicken. (The stew will also thicken as it sits.)
- Step 10
While the stew simmers, prepare the fried potatoes (if using store-bought potato sticks, skip this step) so you can serve them hot when the stew is ready (or keep warm in a 250-degree oven). Drain the potatoes and thoroughly pat dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan (or line sheet pan with paper towels). In a large (12-inch), high-sided pan, heat the oil over medium-high until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and give a quick stir with a slotted spoon. Fry without stirring (so they don’t break) for 4 minutes. Sprinkle the turmeric (if using) into the pot and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are golden and beginning to crisp, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to the sheet pan and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Step 11
Transfer the stew to a serving dish, scatter the fried potatoes on top and serve with rice.
- Lappeh, Iranian yellow split peas, can be found at Iranian and Middle Eastern markets, and online. Make sure to use the “slow cooking” kind. You can also use Indian chana dal or yellow split peas.
- Lamb (such as boneless lamb shoulder or leg) and beef (chuck or eye of round) are good choices for the stewing meat.
- Limoo Ammani, often called Omani, can be found at Middle Eastern markets and online. The dried limes are served with the stew but typically not eaten. Unless you’re a diehard fan, in which case you can include small pieces, avoiding the seeds which are very bitter, with your bites of stew.
- Instead of frying your own potatoes, you can purchase crunchy potato sticks (also called shoestring potatoes) online and in Middle Eastern markets in the snack section to use as a topping.
Private Notes
Comments
This is pretty much my wife's family's version. Using ground meat instead of cubed saves time and some people prefer it. For vegetarian (or just because it is good) substitute browned sliced eggplant. Do not leave out the cinnamon. (We use about 1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground.) Re: the limoo omani, just poke some holes in the sides and throw them in to cook. You won't notice any bitterness. (And once you start using them, I think you will find other stews where they are a nice touch.)
From the photo of the stew, I am wondering whether I couldn't use ground beef or lamb instead. It would certainly shorten the cooking time and the split peas could cook with the ground meat -reducing some of the steps and taking less time. Thoughts?
This is missing the tip about matchstick potatoes as of 2/22/25
This certainly was delicious. However, it took me all afternoon and the kitchen was full of dishes. In the future, I will stick with enjoying dishes such as this at quality mid-Eastern restaurants.
Looks fantastic. How do I make this in a slow-cooker (crock pot)? Thanks!
It kind of drives me bananas when people completely ignore the recipe and then comment how good it was. But here I go! Man, this recipe is overly precious. It reminds me of a martini recipe I once read that insisted the glass be chilled with crushed ice and San Pellegrino. Ok i may have written that silly recipe - but still! I made this 4-hour recipe in about one hour. There may be some sort of ethnic magic that happens through this elegant, sauté style, but i am a practiced expert at cooking meat and onions in a pan. While doing that, I microwaved the peas in water for 10 minutes. I substituted ground beef in place of chunked lamb for reasons of convenience and audience. I ordered the limes, but they did not arrive in time so I used Key limes. Some I juiced, and some I quartered and sautéed with the meat and onions. Everything else i did as written. Kids were thrilled with the warm flavors and comforting nature. So was I. Maybe some Sunday afternoon when i have lots of time to kill, I’ll try it again and take the slow route. Besides, now I’ve got all these dried limes to use up!
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