🇮🇷 Iranian/Persian Cuisine

قیمه

Split Pea and Lamb Stew

Prep Time 20 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 528 kcal

A tomato-based lamb stew with yellow split peas and dried limes, topped with crispy shoestring potatoes and served over saffron rice.

Ingredients

400g lamb shoulder, cubed small
1 cup yellow split peas
1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 dried limes (limoo amani), pierced
1/2 tsp saffron, bloomed
1 tsp turmeric
2 large potatoes, cut into shoestrings
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1 Brown lamb with onion and turmeric. Add tomato paste, cook 2 min.
2 Add split peas, dried limes, saffron, and water to cover. Simmer 1.5 hours until peas dissolve into sauce.
3 While stew simmers, fry shoestring potatoes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
4 Season stew with salt and pepper. The consistency should be thick and rich.
5 Serve stew over saffron rice, topped generously with crispy potatoes.

Did You Know?

Gheimeh is the dish most associated with Muharram mourning ceremonies — massive communal pots of gheimeh feed thousands at nazri (charity) events across Iran.