Kharcho

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef chuck or shin, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 120 g shelled walnut halves
• 100 g long-grain rice
• 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tkemali sour plum sauce (or 2 tbsp red wine vinegar plus 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses)
• 2 tsp khmeli suneli
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp ground blue fenugreek
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• Large pinch of saffron threads or 1/4 tsp ground marigold
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 30 g fresh coriander, chopped
• 20 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Black pepper

Before you cook

• Pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper and season them all over with the salt.
• Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
• Chop the coriander and parsley, keeping the two herbs in separate piles.

Steps

1. Heat the sunflower oil in a large heavy pot over high heat until it shimmers.
2. Brown the beef in three batches, giving each batch about 4 minutes undisturbed so it takes on colour, then lift it out to a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions in the same pot for 10 minutes until they are soft and lightly browned at the edges.
4. Add the garlic and cloves and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot.
6. Pour in the cold water so the meat is covered by about 3 cm and bring it to a boil.
7. Skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface with a ladle.
8. Cover the pot, drop the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours until the beef pulls apart under a fork.
9. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 6 minutes, shaking often, until they smell nutty.
10. Tip the cooled walnuts into a blender with the khmeli suneli, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, Aleppo pepper, saffron and 120 ml of warm broth from the pot, then blend to a smooth beige paste.
11. Stir the tomatoes and rice into the simmering soup and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
12. Stir in the walnut paste and the tkemali and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring often so the base does not catch.
13. Taste and add salt, black pepper and more tkemali until the soup is clearly sour behind the richness.
14. Stir in the chopped coriander and parsley and take the pot straight off the heat.
15. Cover the pot and let the kharcho stand for 10 minutes before ladling it into deep bowls.