Persian Celery Stew - Khoreshte Karafs
Persian celery stew also known as khoresht karafs is a delicious Iranian stew made with celery stalks and herbs. This easy Persian stew can be made vegetarian as well.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 7-8 celery stalks chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh mint finely chopped*
- 1 1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 1 lb lamb stew meat (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups water
- 4 Persian dried limes
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add celery, mint, parsley and saute until herbs start getting dark and release their aroma. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Saute onion until golden.
- Add in lamb meat stew with turmeric and black pepper. Saute until lamb is brown.
- Add in sauteed celery and herbs to the lamb and onion mixture.
- Cook for about a minute. Add in water and bring to simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 45 minutes to and hour until the lamb is fully cooked and tender.
- Pierce the dried Persian limes with a fork and add them to the stew. Cook for about 10-20 minutes until they soften. Press against the pot so they release their sour juice.
- Season with salt.
- Serve warm with Persian style white rice or saffron rice.
Notes
- Too much mint makes the stew bitter, so don't overuse it.
- To make this stew vegetarian, use kidney beans or pinto beans instead of lamb. If using canned red kidney beans, rinse them.
- If you cannot find dried lime, feel free to use lemon/lime juice.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1603IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg