MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Khorescht-E Qeymeh (Lamb Stew With Limes)
 Categories: Lamb, Persian, Stew
      Yield: 1 Batch
 
     80 g  Lapeh (yellow lentils)
      4    Firm tomatoes -OR-
      1 tb Tomato paste
      1 md Onion
           Oil
      1 ts Turmeric
    500 g  Lamb (boned leg); cut into
           -small cubes
           Salt; pepper
    1/2 ts Saffron; ground
      2    Bay leaves
      2    Limu omani (dried limes);
           -up to 3
      3 md Potatoes; up to 4
 
  The day before you want to cook the dish, sort through the lapeh,
  pour over boiling water to cover, and leave to soak overnight. The
  next day, drain the lentils in a sieve and rinse with fresh water.
  
  Coarsely grate the tomatoes and set aside.
  
  Finely chop the onion. Heat some oil in a large pan and fry the onion
  until golden. Sprinkle with turmeric and stir once.
  
  Add the cubed lamb and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until light brown on
  all sides. Sprinkle with pepper and saffron, add the bay leaves, and
  fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  
  Add the grated tomatoes to the meat, cover, and simmer over a very
  low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato
  sauce thickens. (If you cannot get ahold of any flavorful tomatoes,
  use 1 tb tomato paste instead. Add the tomato paste to the meat and
  fry for just 3 to 4 minutes or so, until the color darkens and the
  fragrance of the tomato paste rises.
  
  Pour over 250 ml boiling water and bring everything to a boil over
  high heat.
  
  Prick the limes in several places with a fork to prevent them from
  exploding while cooking, and place in the sauce with the lentils. If
  necessary, add just enough water to cover the lentils and meat by 1
  cm and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer
  for at least 1-1/2 hours. If the level of liquid in the pan falls too
  low, top up with a little boiling water as necessary. In principle,
  however, the less water that evaporates and has to be replaced, the
  better. Flavor escapes with the steam, and the koresh is meant to be
  thick. If, on the other hand, the stew becomes too thin, leave the
  lid open a crack.
  
  While the meat simmers, prepare the rice for chelo: first wash the
  rice in several changes of water, drain, and soak for 25 minutes in
  lukewarm water to which 1 tb salt has been added.
  
  About 20 minutes before the rice and meat are done, peel the potatoes
  and cut into matchsticks.
  
  Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan and fry the matchstick
  potatoes over a medium heat until crisp, then drain on a paper towel.
  
  Serve the stew, topped with the crisp-fried matchstick potatoes, with
  the rice
  
  Tips:
  
  The crisp potatoes are an essential part of this dish. Use takeout
  fries as a backup option.
  
  Note:
  
  The oil is hot enough for deep frying when small bubbles rise around a
  wooden spoon dipped in the oil.
  
  Recipe by The Persian Kitchen by Neda Afrashi, 2006
 
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