Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Ab Gusht (Persian Stew)

1 lb. chopped or ground beef, goat, or lamb
1 cup red beans, soaked
1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), soaked
One large chopped onion
Juice of one lemon
Pinch of grated lemon zest
4-6 medium scrubbed potatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 small can tomato paste
Put beans in a pressure cooker with the curry powder and enough water to come at least one inch over the beans. Bring to pressure and cook one hour. Let cool until pressure is released. Check that the chick peas are cooked. (Alternatively, you can use one can each of cooked red beans and chick peas.)

Add remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer 30 minutes at least, until potatoes are cooked through. Season to taste.



Our Iranian friends, the Rahmanis, make this stew on a camping trip by Lake Ontario. Everything went into a heavy pot at once (they used canned beans) which was put into the coals of a fire where it simmered for hours while we went on a hike. When we returned we enjoyed the stew with pita bread and fresh radishes-- including the tops, which are edible. The original recipe used tiny, dried lemons sent from Iran, whole. I adapted the recipe for the pressure cooker, which saves time and cooking fuel. It would also work in a crock pot.

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