Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins | Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins | Servings: 6
These melt in your mouth lamb cubes is packed with tons of flavours. With aromatic spices, ground walnuts, and pomegranate molasses, this Persian Lamb Stew you can make either in an Instant pot, slow cooker, or hob.
Ingredients
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Stew:
130 grams | 1 c walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
Small piece orange peel
900 grams | 2 lbs diced lamb shoulder, fat trimmed
90 grams | ¾ c dried cranberries
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons honey
500 ml | 2 c hot chicken stock (broth) from a cube
1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
1 tablespoon chopped mint to garnish
Rice:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
450 grams | 2 c basmati rice
950 ml | 4 c hot vegetable stock or water
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
How to make Persian Lamb Stew
Lamb stew on the hob:
Step 1: For maximum flavour, toast the walnuts. Do this in the same casserole dish you prepare the stew or in the oven. Make sure to watch the walnuts closely so they don’t burn. When the walnuts begin to colour, place them in a mini chopper and grind them to a fine powder.
Step 2: In the casserole, heat olive oil and butter. Wait until the butter begins to foam, then add in the onions. Cover the pot and cook the onions for about 20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel. Stir well and continue to cook for another minute or two.
Step 4: Add the lamb to the casserole, stir to coat with the spices. Add a bit of stock if the pan gets dry. Deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits.
Step 5: Stir in the pomegranate molasses and honey, then the dried cranberries.
Step 6: Add the stock to the pot and simmer.
Step 7: Stir in the ground walnuts. Continue to cook for about an hour on very low heat, covered.
Step 8: Uncover and stir the stew every 20 minutes or so to ensure that the walnuts are not sticking. Cook until the liquid is reduced and the stew is thick and glossy brown.
Step 9: Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 10: Garnish the stew with chopped parsley and mint and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot Lamb Stew:
Step 1: Set the IP on Saute. Add the walnuts and toast for several minutes. Take the toasted walnuts out of the IP using a slotted spoon. Grind the walnuts to a fine powder.
Step 2: Heat butter and oil until the butter is foaming. Set the IP to the lowest heat setting and cook the onions for about 15 to 20 minutes until very soft. Ensure to stir the onions often so they don’t stick.
Step 3: Add in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the lambs to the spices in the IP and stir to coat. Add a bit of stock to the pan if it gets dry, and deglaze. Scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the IP.
Step 5: Add to the IP the pomegranate molasses, honey, dried cranberries, and chicken stock. Add in the ground walnuts and stir to incorporate.
Step 6: Cover the IP and seal. Set on high and cook for about 35 minutes. When done, natural release for at least 10 minutes, then release the stem manually.
Step 7: Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 8: Garnish the stew with chopped parsley, mint, and sprinkles of pomegranate seeds.
Slow Cooker Lamb Stew:
Step 1: Do steps for the hob method before adding in the ground walnuts.
Step 2: Place everything in the slow cooker. Set on low and cook for 8 hours. Or 6 hours on high. And don’t peak!
Golden Rice:
Step 1: In a lidded pot, heat a tbsp butter. Once the butter has melted, add in half a tsp ground turmeric, 5 whole cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, and a bay leaf. Stirring well to let the spices incorporate into the butter.
Step 2: To the pot, add the unrinsed white basmati rice. Stir to coat with butter.
Step 3: Pour in the vegetable stock or water. It will simmer quickly. Stir, then tightly cover the pot. Adjust the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Uncover the pot and fold the rice.
Step 5: Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes more. This will ensure soft fluffy rice.
Step 6: Take the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cardamom pods out. Adjust the seasoning of the stew according to taste.
Notes:
Walnuts are required if you want an authentic Persian stew. But if you don’t like walnuts, feel free to not include them but you’ll miss out on the flavour. Alternately, you can add chickpeas (rinsed and drained) instead.
If planning on storing the stew. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days without the garnish.
This stew freezes pretty well. Just leave out the garnishes, allow them to cool completely, and freeze in portions. When ready to serve, defrost the stew in the fridge overnight or in a microwave. Before reheating, you might need to add a bit of water so it’ll become too thick.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 1565kcal | Carbohydrates: 140g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 47021mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 5mg
Ingredients
- Stew:
- 130 grams | 1 c walnuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Small piece orange peel
- 900 grams | 2 lbs diced lamb shoulder, fat trimmed
- 90 grams | ¾ c dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 500 ml | 2 c hot chicken stock (broth) from a cube
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint to garnish
- Rice:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 450 grams | 2 c basmati rice
- 950 ml | 4 c hot vegetable stock or water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Lamb stew on the hob:
Step 1: For maximum flavour, toast the walnuts. Do this in the same casserole dish you prepare the stew or in the oven. Make sure to watch the walnuts closely so they don’t burn. When the walnuts begin to colour, place them in a mini chopper and grind them to a fine powder.
Step 2: In the casserole, heat olive oil and butter. Wait until the butter begins to foam, then add in the onions. Cover the pot and cook the onions for about 20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel. Stir well and continue to cook for another minute or two.
Step 4: Add the lamb to the casserole, stir to coat with the spices. Add a bit of stock if the pan gets dry. Deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits.
Step 5: Stir in the pomegranate molasses and honey, then the dried cranberries.
Step 6: Add the stock to the pot and simmer.
Step 7: Stir in the ground walnuts. Continue to cook for about an hour on very low heat, covered.
Step 8: Uncover and stir the stew every 20 minutes or so to ensure that the walnuts are not sticking. Cook until the liquid is reduced and the stew is thick and glossy brown.
Step 9: Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 10: Garnish the stew with chopped parsley and mint and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot Lamb Stew:
Step 1: Set the IP on Saute. Add the walnuts and toast for several minutes. Take the toasted walnuts out of the IP using a slotted spoon. Grind the walnuts to a fine powder.
Step 2: Heat butter and oil until the butter is foaming. Set the IP to the lowest heat setting and cook the onions for about 15 to 20 minutes until very soft. Ensure to stir the onions often so they don’t stick.
Step 3: Add in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the lambs to the spices in the IP and stir to coat. Add a bit of stock to the pan if it gets dry, and deglaze. Scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the IP.
Step 5: Add to the IP the pomegranate molasses, honey, dried cranberries, and chicken stock. Add in the ground walnuts and stir to incorporate.
Step 6: Cover the IP and seal. Set on high and cook for about 35 minutes. When done, natural release for at least 10 minutes, then release the stem manually.
Step 7: Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 8: Garnish the stew with chopped parsley, mint, and sprinkles of pomegranate seeds.
Slow Cooker Lamb Stew:
Step 1: Do steps for the hob method before adding in the ground walnuts.
Step 2: Place everything in the slow cooker. Set on low and cook for 8 hours. Or 6 hours on high. And don’t peak!
Golden Rice:
Step 1: In a lidded pot, heat a tbsp butter. Once the butter has melted, add in half a tsp ground turmeric, 5 whole cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, and a bay leaf. Stirring well to let the spices incorporate into the butter.
Step 2: To the pot, add the unrinsed white basmati rice. Stir to coat with butter.
Step 3: Pour in the vegetable stock or water. It will simmer quickly. Stir, then tightly cover the pot. Adjust the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Uncover the pot and fold the rice.
Step 5: Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes more. This will ensure soft fluffy rice.
Step 6: Take the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cardamom pods out. Adjust the seasoning of the stew according to taste.
Notes
Walnuts are required if you want an authentic Persian stew. But if you don’t like walnuts, feel free to not include them but you’ll miss out on the flavour. Alternately, you can add chickpeas (rinsed and drained) instead. If planning on storing the stew. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days without the garnish. This stew freezes pretty well. Just leave out the garnishes, allow them to cool completely, and freeze in portions. When ready to serve, defrost the stew in the fridge overnight or in a microwave. Before reheating, you might need to add a bit of water so it’ll become too thick.
