Khoresh-e Gheymeh

Ingredients

• 600g lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 2cm dice
• 150g yellow split peas
• 2 large onions
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp ground saffron
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil, plus 300ml for frying the potatoes
• 2 large floury potatoes (about 450g)
• 900ml water

Before you cook

• Rinse the split peas under cold water and leave them to soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes.
• Peel and finely dice the onions.
• Pierce each dried lime two or three times with the tip of a knife.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks about 5mm thick, then rinse and dry them well.
• Bloom the saffron in 2 tablespoons of just-boiled water.

Steps

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Fry the diced onion for 12 minutes, stirring often, until it is soft and evenly golden.
3. Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the diced meat and turn it in the onion until it has lost its raw colour, about 6 minutes.
5. Push the meat to one side, add the tomato paste to the clear space and fry it for 2 minutes until brick red.
6. Pour in the water and bring the pot to a boil.
7. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes.
8. Drain the soaked split peas and tip them into the pot with the salt and the pierced dried limes.
9. Simmer uncovered for a further 35 minutes, until the split peas are tender but still holding their shape.
10. Press each dried lime against the side of the pot with a spoon to release its juice, then fish the limes out if you prefer a gentler sourness.
11. Stir half the bloomed saffron through the stew and check the salt.
12. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan until a potato matchstick sizzles briskly on contact.
13. Fry the potato matchsticks in two batches for about 4 minutes each, until crisp and pale gold, then drain them on kitchen paper and salt them.
14. Toss the hot chips with the remaining saffron water so they take on colour.
15. Ladle the stew into a shallow dish and heap the saffron chips over the top just before it goes to the table.