Lamb and yellow split peas stewed with dried lime until the broth turns sour and dark, topped with crisp matchstick potatoes.
Prep
20 mins
Cook
1h 40m
Servings
5
Per serving
£2.10
Difficulty
medium
Dried limes are what make this taste Persian rather than generically Middle Eastern, giving a fermented, almost smoky sourness nothing else replicates. Pierce them so the flavour leaks out, and pull them before they go bitter. The fried potato on top is not optional in Iran and it should be added at the very last second.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a casserole and fry the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and turmeric and cook for another minute.
Turmeric needs a moment in hot fat to lose its chalky edge, but it scorches quickly, so keep it moving.
Turn the heat up, add the lamb and brown it all over for about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens.
Add the cinnamon, 1.5 tsp of the salt, the black pepper and 900 ml water. Bring to the boil, skim the surface, then cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Add the rinsed split peas and the pierced dried limes, pushing the limes under the surface. Simmer, partly covered, for a further 35 to 40 minutes until the peas are soft but not disintegrating.
Split peas vary enormously in age. Start checking at 30 minutes, because once they collapse the stew turns to sludge.
Taste the broth. If the sourness is where you want it, fish the limes out now, otherwise give them another ten minutes. Stir in two thirds of the saffron water.
Dried limes keep releasing bitterness the longer they sit. Removing them at the right moment is the judgement call in this dish.
Meanwhile rinse the potato matchsticks in cold water and dry them thoroughly on a tea towel. Heat the remaining 4 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry them in two batches over a medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and salt lightly.
Wet potatoes will not crisp, they steam and go limp. Dry them more than you think is needed.
Check the stew for salt, then let it rest for 10 minutes. It should be loose and pourable, not thick, so add hot water if it has tightened.
Serve over rice, spoon the remaining saffron water over the top, then pile the crisp potatoes on at the table with lime wedges alongside.
Add the potatoes to each bowl as it is served. Left sitting in the broth they go soft within a minute.