Persian Lamb & Aubergine Khoresh
A traditional Persian-inspired Koresh combining tender, slow-braised lamb with golden aubergines, tomatoes, turmeric, saffron and the distinctive acidity of dried Persian lime.
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Print Pin RateServings: 6 Servings
Calories: 641kcal
Cost: £10.00
Equipment
- 1 Colander, for the aubergine
- 1 Grill or Large Frying Pan
- 1 Heavy Casserole, with Lid
Ingredients
Lamb Khoresh
- 900 g Boneless Lamb Shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3-4cm cubes 2 lb
- 250 g Yellow Onions, finely diced 9 oz
- 15 g Garlic, finely chopped, finely chopped ½ oz
- 30 ml Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil 2 tbsp
- 45 g Tomato Purée 1½ oz
- 450 g Ripe Tomatoes approximately 300g chopped and 150g halved (1 lb)
- 650 ml Light Lamb Stock or Water approximately 1⅛ pt
- 4 g Ground Turmeric approximately 1½ tsp
- 1 g Ground Cinnamon approximately ½ tsp
- 2 each Dried Persian Limes Limoo Amani, pierced
- 0.15 g Saffron Threads approximately a generous pinch
- 30 ml Warm Water, for the saffron infusion 2 tbsp
- 10 g Fine Sea Salt or to taste (approximately 1⅔ tsp)
- 2 g Freshly Ground Black Pepper approximately 1 tsp
Aubergines
- 900 g Aubergines approximately 3 medium (2 lb)
- 60 ml Vegetable Oil for shallow-frying, approximately (4 tbsp)
- 5 g Fine Sea Salt for drawing moisture (approximately ¾ tsp)
Optional Acid Adjustment
- 15-30 ml Verjuice or Fresh Lemon Juice 1–2 tbsp
- Use only if the finished stew requires additional acidity. If dried Persian limes are unavailable
Presentation & Garnish
- 20 g Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped ¾ oz
- 10 g Fresh Mint Leaves ⅓ oz
- Steamed Persian Saffron Rice, Chelow
- Crisp Tahdig optional
Instructions
Prepare the Aubergines
- Peel the aubergines, leaving occasional narrow strips of skin if desired, and cut lengthways into thick slices approximately 2cm wide.
- Lightly sprinkle with the salt and arrange in a colander for 20-30 minutes.
- Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Rinsing is unnecessary if only lightly salted; if heavily salted, rinse and dry completely.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the aubergines in batches until evenly golden on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. The aubergines should be well coloured and partially cooked but still sufficiently firm to withstand their final cooking in the Khoresh.
- Transfer to kitchen paper to remove excess oil and reserve.
Brown the Lamb
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onions and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to develop a golden colour.
- Increase the heat slightly, add the lamb and brown evenly, approximately 6–8 minutes. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
- Add the garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper, stirring for approximately one minute to release the aromatics without burning them.
Develop the Sauce
- Add the tomato purée and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes, allowing them to begin breaking down.
- Pour in approximately 550ml of the stock or water, reserving the remainder for adjustment during cooking.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially and reduce the heat to low.
Braise the Lamb
- Cook slowly for approximately 75 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more stock if the sauce reduces excessively.
- Pierce the dried Persian limes several times with a skewer or the tip of a small knife, and add them to the casserole, pressing gently into the sauce.
- Continue cooking for approximately 30-45 minutes, until the lamb is becoming tender. Cook gently to ensure that the lamb is tender.
- The dried limes will gradually release their characteristic sour, slightly fermented citrus flavour.
- When the lamb is tender, check the sauce for seasoning and consistency, and carefully arrange the fried aubergine over the lamb and sauce.
- Add the reserved tomato halves, cut-side upwards, among the aubergines. Cover and simmer very gently for a further 15-20 minutes.
- Avoid stirring at this stage. Instead, gently shake the casserole occasionally to prevent sticking.
- The aubergines should absorb some of the sauce while retaining their shape.
- Crush the saffron threads lightly and steep in 30ml warm water for approximately 10 minutes.
- During the final 5-10 minutes of cooking, add the saffron infusion to the Khoresh to gently distribute through the sauce without breaking the aubergines.
- The finished stew should show a harmonious balance between rich lamb, sweet tomato, mellow aubergine and the clean acidity of the dried lime.
- Taste, and if necessary, adjust the sourness with a small amount of verjuice or lemon juice.
- Remove the dried limes before serving, particularly if they have become bitter.
- Remove the casserole from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for approximately 10-15 minutes.
- This resting period allows the flavours to settle and the sauce to develop a more integrated consistency to allow the flavours to settle and the sauce to develop a more integrated consistency.
Presentation
- Serve the Khoresh in a warm, shallow serving bowl, arranging the tender lamb centrally with the golden aubergine slices layered over and sauce around it.
- Garnish sparingly with fresh parsley or mint and accompany with steamed Persian rice, ideally finished with a small portion of saffron rice.
- Crisp tahdig provides a welcome textural contrast.
Notes
Control the amount and duration of dried lime infusion carefully as they can become bitter.
Aubergine texture: Frying the aubergines separately is important to the finished structure, to avoid them melting into the sauce.
Advance preparation: The lamb and tomato base can be prepared a day ahead and cooled, as the flavour improves overnight.
Vegetarian adaptation: Replace the lamb with additional aubergine and a mixture of chickpeas or other pulses. Use vegetable stock and shorter cooking.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1559mg | Potassium: 1077mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1369IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg
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