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KHORESH GHEYMEH خورش قیمه

June 16, 2015 By Homa

Khoresh Gheymeh
Khoresh Gheymeh (gheimeh), also called Gheymeh Polo (polo means rice) is a Beef and Split Pea Stew which is a very traditional and popular Iranian stew with saffron potatoes that is served over either white rice or Aromatic Rice. The Aromatic Rice is a version of steamed white rice where Persian Rice Spice blend is sprinkled on the rice before steaming it.
Khoresh Gheymeh
The word gheymeh comes from how the meat is cut into small cubes in this recipe and unlike other Persian khoreshs that have larger chunks of meat, Gheymeh meat is usually cut into about one inch cubes. Traditionally Gheymeh is made with lamb or beef but due to the recent interest in using white meat instead of the red meat some people may choose to use cubed chicken breast instead which involves a slightly different preparation than the lamb or beef.
Khoresh Gheymeh
The yellow split peas used in this recipe are called “dir paz,” which literally means long cooking. This kind of split peas look exactly the same as the regular split peas but are tastier and hold their shape better during the cooking process and do not fall apart. This variety is usually sold in the Middle Eastern markets and you can ask for it by name “lapeh dir paz;” lapeh means split pea.  This is the only kind of yellow split peas that I use in all of my recipes.

in the pan
stewing

The half cooked split peas, fried onions, tomato paste, Limoo Amani, meat spice and butter are sauteed for a few minutes before adding the cooked meat and broth. Next the pot is covered and cooked over medium low heat until all the ingredient are cooked and tender.

UPDATE:  I have recently added a Meat Spice Blend II which adds some warm spices to this khoresh; both blends taste wonderful in this recipe and it is a matter of personal preference which one you decide to use.

potato wedges
saffron potatoes

The potatoes are peeled and cut into thin wedges then rinsed under cold water to get rid of the starch so the wedges do not stick together during frying. Next, the potato wedges are pat dried with a paper towel and tossed with the optional saffron before frying in heated oil. Once the potato wedges are golden brown they are transferred to a paper towel lined platter to get rid of the excess oil. A light sprinkle of kosher salt adds flavor to the fried saffron potatoes.
Khoresh Gheymeh
Limoo Amani (Persian dried lime) plays a big role in the amazing taste of Gheymeh and it is also sold in the Middle Eastern markets. However if you are unable to find it in your area you can substitute fresh lime juice for it and the Khoresh Gheymeh will still be wonderful.
Khoresh Gheymeh
The traditional presentation of Khoresh Gheymeh is like the above picture with fried saffron potato wedges on top.   Enjoy this mouthwatering khoresh over Aromatic Rice or White Rice.
Aromatic Rice

This is the Aromatic Rice that is steamed with Persian Rice Spice and a sprinkle of saffron.

5.0 from 21 reviews
KHORESH GHEYMEH
 
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Author: Homa
Recipe type: Khoresh/Stew on Rice
Cuisine: Persian
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound cross rib roast beef or a similar roast, cubed to 1-inch pieces (may use cubed lamb instead)
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • ½ large onion diced
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups water
  • ¾ cup yellow split peas (I prefer the dir paz variety)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ large onion sliced thin and fried to golden brown (5 ounces fried onions)
  • 3-4 TBSP vegetable oil to fry the onions
  • 2 TBSP tomato paste
  • ¼ cup crushedlimoo amani (dried Persian lime)
  • 2 whole limoo amani (Pierce the sides with the tip of a sharp knife and soak in hot water for 5 minutes before adding it to the stew)
  • 1 tsp Persian Meat Spice (your choice of original blend, or blend II)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (to be added to the cooked meat)
  • ⅛ tsp ground saffron (optional)
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • FOR THE SAFFRON POTATO
  • 3 medium white potatoes peeled and cut into thin wedges
  • Dash of saffron (optional)
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil for frying the potato wedges
  • Kosher salt to taste, sprinkled over the fried potatoes
  • FOR THE AROMATIC RICE
  • 2 ½ cups rice
  • 1 ½ tsp Persian Rice Spice
  • Pieces of lavash or flour tortilla for Tahdig
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the cubed beef, diced onion, turmeric powder, and ground black pepper (salt will be added later). Saute for 10 minutes until the meat is browned and the natural juices are bubbling.
  2. Add 3 cups water, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the meat is tender. After the meat is cooked there should be about 2 ½ cups of broth in the pot.
  3. Meanwhile pick through the split peas for any possible debris. Add them to a small saucepan and fill the pan with cold water and wash the peas and discard the water. Add Fresh water to the saucepan and repeat couple of times to clean the peas.
  4. Next add enough cold water to cover the split peas by one inch. Add ½ tsp salt and bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Cook uncovered for 5-6 minutes, or until the split peas are more tender but still very firm. If the peas get fully cooked at this stage they will get mushy after they are cooked later with the meat and sauce. Drain the peas into a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  5. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Add the tomato paste and saute for another 3-4 minutes until aromatic. Add the cooked split peas, 2 TBSP butter, ¼ cup crushed dried limes (about 2-3), ⅛ tsp optional saffron and 1 tsp Persian Meat Spice. Saute over medium low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
  6. Add the cooked beef, broth, and 1 tsp kosher salt to the skillet. Stir to combine the ingredients. Add 2 whole limes that have been soaking in hot water, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to the mark between medium low and low. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the meat, split peas and dried limes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
  7. Meanwhile peel and slice the potatoes into ½-inch long sticks. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water to get rid of the starch that is on the surface so the potatoes do not stick together when fried. Pat dry the potatoes with a paper towel before frying. If using the optional saffron, you will need to add the potatoes to a medium bowl and sprinkle a dash of saffron on the potatoes and toss to coat.
  8. Heat the ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Gently add the potatoes to the hot oil and stir couple of times to coat all of the potatoes with oil, then fry them in a single layer for 15-20 minutes, stirring and turning so the potatoes are tender and light golden brown on all sides. Transfer the fried potatoes to a platter covered with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the fries with about ¼ tsp kosher salt.
  9. To serve, add Steamed Aromatic Rice to the plates and add Gheymeh on top. Next top the Gheymeh with fried potatoes.
  10. Please refer to the How To section on my blog for Aromatic Steamed Rice directions.
Notes
Yellow Split Peas: If you have to use the regular yellow split peas which is sold in neighborhood supermarkets boil it in water for 2-3 minutes, discard the water and run the split peas under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Then add the peas to Gheymeh in the last 20 minutes of cooking to prevent them from over cooking.
Persian Rice Spice: The Persian Rice Spice is a blend of 5 ground spices: Rose petals, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and cardamom. The proportions are different depending on who is making the spice blend. I make mine in the order that it is written, with 3 parts rose petals, 2 cinnamon, 1 cumin and ½ each of nutmeg and cardamom.
Limoo Amani: If you have to substitute fresh lime juice instead of the dried lime, use ¼-1/3 cup of lime juice, adjust to your taste.
3.5.3251

Filed Under: Beef & Lamb, Gheymeh, Khoresh Gheymeh, Main Dishes, Persian Khoresh, Persian rice, Recipe Tagged With: limoo amani, saffron, saffron fries, split peas, traditional Persian meals

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Comments

  1. fitri says

    June 16, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    Salam Homa , I’m your silent follower – I’ve been following your blog for a couple months, and your blog is always become my guide book to look when I need to cook Persian foods for my husband, he is Iranian – unfortunately we don’t have extended family lives near by to teach me how to cook but in other country. So I cook Persian’s food by trial and error – GOD knows how many time I cry because I can’t cook rice perfectly like Iranian .. but always feel confident when the time to cook Koresh :))) Thank you for sharing recipes, and nice to meet you here ..

  2. Homa says

    June 16, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Salam azizam, it is wonderful to meet you as well. Thank you for your comment. I’m happy you find my blog helpful. The Persian rice is really tricky at first but it is easy to learn the technique. I have a detailed post about the Persian Steamed rice on the How To page of my blog. I hope you try my rice instructions and write to me with a success story of an Iranian rice that makes you happy! Please do not hesitate to contact me as many times as you need with any questions that you might have about any recipe. Lovely to have you here.

  3. Fae's Twist & Tango says

    June 17, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Homa, I love, love, love your blog. Coming here gives me the feeling of visiting a good friend’s home for lunch or dinner and when the front door open’s, the fragrance of the food manifests how welcoming your home is. Reading your caring detailed narratives makes me high with the fragrance of the dish(s) you are presenting. Beautiful gheymeh, saffron fries and aromatic rice! Did I say, I love, love, love your “How To” page?

    • Homa says

      June 18, 2015 at 11:03 am

      Dearest Fae, how wonderful of you to cheer me up with your beautiful comment! You’re welcome in my home any time. I’m so glad you like my How To page; this is a guide for the basics of Persian cooking and it was the first page that I started to work on a few months ago when I was getting ready to publish my blog!

  4. Chelsey says

    December 10, 2015 at 10:44 am

    Hi Homa, I wanted to make this dish tonight, but only have uncooked whole green peas…would I be able to use them instead of yellow split peas? I realize it wouldn’t be the proper dish, but was just wondering if it would still taste good? Also, would it be alright to use a slow cooker? Looks so yummy! Thank you for the recipe!

    • Homa says

      December 10, 2015 at 11:34 am

      Hello Chelsey,
      I have never cooked Gheymeh in a slow cooker or with green peas. Having said that, it would probably still taste good. By “uncooked whole green peas,” do you mean fresh/frozen green peas? If they are fresh or frozen, you may add them at the last hour of slow cooking.
      As far as the rest of the recipe: Brown the meat as(step #1). Continue the same as (step#2) but add the meat and water to the slow cooker, at this point also add the tomato paste, half of the fried onions, (no salt) and dried limes and slow cook the meat until tender. Then add the rest of the fried onions, salt and fresh/frozen green peas to the slow cooker and cook for one more hour or until the stew has a nice thick sauce and the peas are tender and flavorful. If the sauce is not thick enough leave the lid open and cool on high setting until it is. Then serve with fried saffron potatoes over rice.
      I am very interested to hear all about this recipe. Please let me know 🙂

  5. Chelsey says

    December 10, 2015 at 11:45 am

    Thank you so much for your quick response! I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂

  6. Coco in the Kitchen says

    February 11, 2016 at 2:24 pm

    Homa joon, I’ve been craving Gheymeh, but am somewhat intimidated by making it.
    Your recipe is so nicely organized. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow night!

    • Homa says

      February 11, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Dear Coco in the Kitchen, that is very nice of you to say that 🙂 I think you will love this recipe, it is one of my favorites. Nooshe Joon and have a great weekend my dear!

  7. Hena Shirazi says

    May 29, 2016 at 9:39 am

    Dear Homa,
    Your recipes are SIMPLY AMAAZING!! I’ve tried out the gheimeh, borani badamjan, khoresht badamjan, fesanjoon , turkey kabobs so far and everything has been delicious!!!i think I’m going to try everything on this website. Thankyou so much for posting these recipes, I’m so glad I found ur blog!

    • Homa says

      May 29, 2016 at 4:48 pm

      Dear Hena, how lovely to hear from you! I’m very glad to meet a loyal reader who has tried so many of my recipes. Please keep it up, there are more recipes coming your way. I’m looking forward to reading more of your reviews and comments. Happy cooking dear friend 🙂

      • Hena Shirazi says

        May 29, 2016 at 8:02 pm

        I have made this over a span of 2 weeks and my husband LOVES the food, we are 3rd generation Iranian ( born and brought up in India, and we’ve never been there, will hopefully go next year, inshallah) I always wanted to learn Persian cooking but just didn’t get the right recipes and judging from all the food we’ve tried out – even In Mediterranean Restaurants, I dont think anything has come close to these ? , Please count me as one of your biggest fans!! ❤️

        • Homa says

          May 30, 2016 at 9:31 am

          Dear Hena thank you for your kind words. When I decided to start this blog I wanted to provide a source that food lovers like yourself can recreate my family recipes exactly the same way that I cook them in my own kitchen. I am very happy to know that you and your family are enjoying them. I hope you do visit Iran next year and have a great and memorable travel; there is so much to see there!

  8. Hena Shirazi says

    June 5, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    Salam Homa,
    I keep trying but I just can’t make rice, it gets soft, I don’t know what kind of basmati rice to buy either, we have an Iranian store here, which brand of rice do you suggest? And how do I avoid destroying it :/

    • Homa says

      June 6, 2016 at 11:39 am

      Salam Hena jan, Persian rice can be challenging at times, but I feel that the length of time that the rice is boiled at the beginning and the degree it’s cooked is usually more important than the type of Basmati rice you use. I have used a variety of Basmati rice brands and they are not really that different, I will name a few: Tilda, Pari, Royal, Amira. The only difference is that the first time you try any brand you might have to adjust how long you need to boil the rice at the beginning, but you always want the rice to be firm in the core when you bite into a cooked grain before steaming it. A good rule of thumb is that it is better to under-cook the rice (depending on the type of rice this might take anywhere from 5-10 minutes) at the beginning and see how it turns out for you. I have this Perisan Rice tutorial: https://persianmama.com/persian-steamed-rice/ that a lot of people have found very helpful. I hope this helps and let me know how your rice turns out.

  9. Hena Shirazi says

    June 17, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Salaam Homa, sorry for the late reply, my little one wasn’t keeping well, I tried the rice, it did turn out much better, have to keep practicing though… Thankyou so much!!

  10. Homa says

    June 17, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Hi Hena, I hope your little one is feeling better.
    That is good to hear about the rice 🙂 Yes that is the right attitude! Pretty soon your rice will be exactly how you want! Thank you for your comment..

  11. Sadika says

    August 13, 2016 at 6:34 am

    Dear homa.

    Today I tried your recipe for gheimah, I almost tasted it while reading it. though
    I ‘m used to cooking it my family’s recipe. It really smelled nice and tasted heavenly. I altered the recipe a little as I added less lemon omani but added Alu ( bought it from mashhad on a visit last year,kept it frozen yet tastes fresh) . My husband loved it & I’m going to keep some for my daughter whose coming for a visit . I ‘m sure she will love it too.

    • Homa says

      August 13, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Dear Sadika, so good to hear about your delicious gheimah! Alu is a great addition. I also keep my precious dried fruit from Iran in the freezer 🙂
      Have a wonderful visit with your daughter and noosh e jan!

  12. سارا says

    November 27, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    Hi Homa joon. Thank you so much for creating such a great website. I am making this dish tomortow night but I was not sure which ‘persian meat spice plend’ to use. The original or II?
    Thank you so much

    • Homa says

      November 28, 2016 at 9:42 am

      Sara jan thank you for the kind words; I’m so glad you’re enjoying my blog!
      This is one of those recipes that I have made with both of the meat spice blends at different times and love them both, but favoring spice blend II a bit more!

  13. PAUL THEODORE HARRISON says

    December 3, 2016 at 9:00 pm

    Salam Homajoon! Many thanks for the beautifully written recipes! I made khoresh gheymeh last night and was very happy with the results! The flavors and textures brought back lovely memories of my travels in Iran. Now I am engaged to marry a Kurdish Iranian and cannot wait to prepare some delicious and authentic dishes for my aziz! Your recipes are filled with love and that always makes food taste even better!!!

    • Homa says

      December 4, 2016 at 8:47 am

      Salam dear Paul, I’m delighted to read your heartfelt comment. Congratulations on your engagement; your sweetheart is going to love all the effort that you put into cooking for her. Please keep in touch and tell me all about the other recipes that you try. Nooshe Jan 😉

  14. Mariam says

    December 19, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    سلام
    Hi to everyone! I want to express my admiration for the Iranian cuisine! especially for your recipes. I tried to cook a lot of them and the result was amazing. I’m from Greece and because of my husband would love to learn how to cook these dishes. Now through this site have the opportunity. Again, many thumbs up for the initiative to create this site.
    this food is also amazing!

    Homajoon Thanx a lot!!!

    • Homa says

      December 19, 2016 at 2:21 pm

      سلام Mariam jan, khahesh mikonam! I love reading your very kind message and I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband have enjoyed many of my recipes. Please keep in touch and keep on cooking 😉

  15. Mia Taherkhah says

    December 31, 2017 at 10:36 pm

    Homa khanoom, I would like to get your suggestions on whether or not to remove the seeds from limoo amani. I heard they can make a very tart taste when eaten after cooking in khoresht. Thank you, and Happy New Year (American)!

    • Homa says

      January 2, 2018 at 10:12 am

      Hello Mia; happy new year to you too! Limoo amani is aromatic and very tart by nature. Some people choose to crack it open and remove the pits before adding it to the khoresh, because they tend to have a mild bitter taste. Some also choose to use the limoo amani whole for aroma and flavor, but remove it before serving the dish; I never do this one because I love limoo amani 😉 You will need to try it for yourself and see which option suits you best.

      • Mia T. says

        January 16, 2018 at 1:02 pm

        Merci, Homa Khanoom. So am I understanding correctly that you open the limoo and remove the seeds before adding to khoresht, etc.?
        I use limoo amani all the time (usually ground) but prefer using the whole, which is why I wanted to get your recommendation.
        I always enjoy your posts on FB and Instagram. Thank you for being such a valuable resource for Persian cooking.

        • Homa says

          January 16, 2018 at 3:34 pm

          Khahesh mikonam Mia jan; thank you so much for your support on all of my pages 🙂 Yes, if you don’t like the seeds, which tend to have a slightly bitter flavor, simply crush the whole limoo to several pieces, under a heavy object (like a meat tenderizer) and then remove the pits. I personally love limoo amani, seeds and all, so I just barely crack them with a nut cracker and use them whole.

          • Mia T. says

            February 23, 2018 at 10:55 am

            Merci, Homa khanoom! Precisely what I wanted to understand was what YOU do. I’m going to try using them whole (just slightly cracked) next time. Their distinctive aroma while simmering in dishes like ab gusht is intoxicating for me, and transports my heart to feeling like I’m in Iran. No exaggeration!

          • Homa says

            February 23, 2018 at 3:47 pm

            You sound like a true fan 😉 and I totally agree; limoo amani takes Persian dishes to a higher level of flavor and authenticity! Enjoy it dear Mia!

  16. Allison says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:47 am

    Hi Homa,

    I’m going to make this over the weekend. Super American question – your meat spice blend calls for “chili powder.” Is that American chili powder, the blend you use to make the chili for Superbowl parties, or is it red chili powder that just has chillies in it?

    Allison

    • Homa says

      January 25, 2018 at 10:11 am

      Hello Allison; it’s the regular chili powder (not hot). I’m excited that you’re making this; let me know what you think. Enjoy and have a great weekend 🙂

      • Allison says

        January 28, 2018 at 3:22 pm

        I had to make this fast so we could attend a birthday party so I cut a few corners time-wise and skipped the potatoes. Still very tasty! My husband found yellow split peas for me so I had to make this (I hadn’t found them in Pittsburgh before).

        • Homa says

          January 29, 2018 at 10:21 am

          Hi Allison; so glad you like this recipe; I actually do the same thing, when I’m short on time or want to save some calories. I’m glad your husband was able to find yellow split peas for you; I love them in this khoresh. Thank you for sharing your Gheymeh experience 🙂

          • Allison says

            January 6, 2019 at 7:43 pm

            So I just made this again and followed the recipe exactly except I missed the second butter and limoo amani additions (I blame distracting kids).I actually thought the flavor was perfect with just the crushed limes though. Whole family gobbled down their dinner and it was even better the next day. Served with salad shirazi.

          • Homa says

            January 6, 2019 at 10:29 pm

            That might have been a blessing Allison; your little ones have pretty sophisticated palates, but most children are not too fond of whole limoo amani and the crushed ones are easier to conceal 😉 I always look forward to reading your comments and I thank you for writing to me.

  17. Shefali says

    January 28, 2018 at 6:05 pm

    Such an awesome recipe- thank you so much! My kids love this! This is a staple in our household- I make it every month. We first had this dish at our neighbor’s house ( Houmayoun- he is Persian). I am so glad I can recreate it.

    • Homa says

      January 29, 2018 at 10:32 am

      You’re so welcome Shefali! I always feel like I’m doing something right, when children enjoy my recipes; so thanks for that 😉 It’s also great to hear that you were able to recreate your Persian neighbor’s gheymeh successfully. I appreciate your comment and please keep in touch. Have a great week!

  18. Azadeh says

    February 1, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    Hi Persian mama!
    I always wanted to cook gheimeh the way everyone in my family would eat it and love it but most of the time I got disappointed. Two weeks ago I tried your recipe and it was great. Tasty and original. My husband just asked me to cook gheimeh like the one I cooked the other day! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.

    • Homa says

      February 1, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      Hello Azadeh jan! I loved reading your comment; thank you 🙂 It’s a pleasure to know that you’ve put my recipe to good use. Gheymeh is a family favorite around my house too! I hope to hear back from you when you try my other recipes. Have a great weekend!

  19. Melissa says

    February 2, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    Hi Homa Joon –

    I tried making the gheimeh today but my meat got hard and the split peas are still hard. Do I just need to add some more water and leave it to cook for longer?

    Thank you,
    Melissa

    • Homa says

      February 2, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      Hi Melissa; I’m sorry to hear that. The meat should be cooked until tender before adding the rest of the ingredients. The split peas should also be pre cooked before adding to the ingredients. However, since both are still hard, go ahead add water, if needed, and continue cooking until they are tender.

  20. Sal.R says

    August 29, 2018 at 9:56 pm

    Hi Homa,
    Interesting twist to the process for cooking the split peas. I’ve made gheyme several times but I really liked this method best. Mind you, this MIGHT be how everyone does it but what do I know lol. Anyways, turned out great. Wife (polish) loves Iranian cuisine and she approved so there you have it. One thing you may have forgotten to mention however is that gheyme, or any other Iranian dish requiring paste, really must be made with Iranian paste. It makes a world of a difference. I got lazy to drive to my local Persian store so I settled for premium grade Italian tomotoes etc etc. doesn’t matter how premium, If it’s not Iranian paste it just doesn’t have that extra elevation. What do you think? Thank you again!

    • Homa says

      August 30, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      Hello Sal.R; I’m truly happy that you and your dear wife have enjoyed this recipe! Since not too many people have access to Iranian paste, I always try to create recipes that taste amazing with the ingredients that are available to everyone in any particular corner of the globe. Hope you will get your hands on some of your favorite Iranian paste and try this recipe again and see if it really is different or is it our memories of our beautiful Iran that makes everything about it so close to our heart. Have a great weekend and please keep in touch 🙂

  21. Afsane says

    August 31, 2018 at 2:39 pm

    This was such a wonderful and easy recipe! I had to triple the amounts since I was making this for ~20 people, and it turned out amazing! I usually make gheime without following a recipe and just experiment with it, which means I can never be sure how it’s gonna turn out!! So happy I found a recipe I can feel confident about 🙂

    • Homa says

      September 1, 2018 at 8:48 am

      So good to hear from you dear Afsane! Thanks so much for your confidence in my work; I’m happy you’ve enjoyed this recipe that has helped cooking for 20 people a little easier. I hope to read more of your comments when you try other recipes on this blog. Have a great weekend and please keep in touch!

  22. Sima says

    September 15, 2018 at 12:22 am

    I love your website and have made good food off it. But i am so sad tonight. I just made this gheymeh recipe and it’s bitter. I followed the instructions exactly. It smells very good and unfortunately it has a bitter taste on the tongue. I looked up other recipes and they don’t call for crushed dried lemon. So Homa joon are you referring to dried GROUND limes? That’s what I put. My mother says I should have just put one dried lime. I think the ground dried lime messed it up. IS that what you use. I attempted to look up the ground lime situation on your spices page but did not find the answer so i assumed crushed limes meant ground dried limes from the Persian markets. Can you please let me know. Looks like this batch is going to have to be thrown out and I will make a new one for my party tomorrow. Goodness…,

  23. Homa says

    September 15, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Hello Sima jan; I’m sorry your gheymeh didn’t turn out as you expected. Crushed lime is different from lime powder. For this recipe I crush 2-3 whole limes to several pieces with a meat tenderizer or a nut cracker, then remove the lime pits that some people find bitter, before adding it to khoresh. Dried lime powder sold at the Persian markets is probably ground with the pits inside, which taste bitter and it also makes the khoresh darker in color which is not what we want. If you wish, don’t crush the limes and just use them whole next time. I’m glad you contacted me; as you can see from other comments, this is a very popular and delicious recipe and I hope you will like your khoresh better next time. Please feel free to contact me with your questions anytime.

  24. Maryam says

    December 3, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Hi Homa joon, thank you so much for sharing these recipes! They remind me of my grandmother’s cooking!
    I would like to make this dish with chicken. Do you have suggestions as to What I should do differently?

    • Homa says

      December 3, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      That is so nice to hear Maryam joon, thank you! You could try cutting boneless chicken breast into bite size pieces and saute it briefly and then follow the rest of the recipe (don’t forget to add water or chicken broth) as written and substitute the par cooked chicken pieces for the beef. Let me know how this works for you. Enjoy!

      • Maryam says

        December 10, 2018 at 10:57 pm

        Thank you! I can’t wait to try it with chicken!

        • Homa says

          December 11, 2018 at 12:39 am

          Let me know how it works for you 🙂

          • Maryam says

            December 16, 2018 at 7:55 pm

            Hi Homa Joon! I made the recipe and it worked out really well. I shredded the chicken a bit with forks so that it wouldn’t be so chunky. I feel like the challenge with chicken is the stew does not have the same richness as when cooked with beef. If you have any suggestions for how to enhance the flavor when using chicken please let me know. Thank you again for the recipe!

          • Homa says

            December 17, 2018 at 6:15 pm

            Hi Maryam jan; Chicken breast is very lean and tends to dry out if cooked too much. If yo wish to add extra flavor and richness, you could use boneless chicken thighs, but leave them in small bite size chunks and don’t shred them so your stew has more substance and a better texture.

  25. Nak says

    December 25, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Homa joon,

    I’d like to try making a vegetarian version of this. What adjustments would you recommend making? Should I add 3/4 cup of yellow split peas? Still the same amount of butter/onions? Please let me know how I can switch around the instructions to make this work.

    Thank you so much!

    • Homa says

      December 27, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Hello Nak aziz; You could make the exact recipe but leave out the meat. Or to give it more substance increase the amount of split peas to 1-1 1/2 cups, increase the amount of fried onions (the more the tastier), butter, and the saffron potatoes. I would also add some vegetable stock instead of water or ‘Better Than Bouillon’ vegetable base mixed with water. Hope these suggestions work for you. I’d like to hear back from you with the details 😉

  26. Ferryal Lackey says

    February 9, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Hi Homa Jaan, are these long or fast cooking yellow split peas please?

    Thanks,

    Ferryal

    • Homa says

      February 10, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Hi Ferryal jan; these are the ‘dir paz’ the long cooking ones. I never use anything but; they are delicious and they keep their shape much better!

  27. Annika says

    February 16, 2019 at 11:12 am

    Hi Homa I’m from Sweden I have a workmate from Iran I usually ask about Persian food. When I googled I found your website to love your recipes so I dared to sample khoreh gheymeh it was super good even invited my workmate. Got very good grades. Thank you for sharing with you to try out more of your recipes.

    • Homa says

      February 16, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Hello and welcome Annika! I absolutely love reading your comment! This makes me feel like I’m on the right track, when you and your friend have loved your first try at one of my recipes. I know you’ll love many more recipes here and will have many satisfying Persian dinner parties from now on. Please keep in touch. Have a great Sunday 🙂

  28. MohammadrezaNasresfahani says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:44 am

    از شما جدا سپاسگزارم که ترویج غذا ها و فرهنگ ایران را می دهید در پناه خدا

    • Homa says

      May 3, 2019 at 12:53 pm

      درود فراوان دوست گرامی برای توجه و محبت شما. موفق و پاینده باشید

  29. Megan says

    September 27, 2019 at 10:00 am

    Hello. I am new to Persian cooking and am making this dish for a dear friend who is Persian. Can you tell me about how long this dish will take to prepare?
    I will make sure to let you know how it turns out! Thank you for the detailed recipe.

  30. Homa says

    September 27, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    Hi Megan; this recipe will take about 3 hours in total when the timing of the steps are followed as described in the directions. The rice should be prepared simultaneously with the khoresh! Happy cooking; Enjoy!

  31. Jay Mavi says

    December 11, 2019 at 11:59 am

    Sorry I’m not sure what kosher Salt is. Can you please let me know.

    • Homa says

      December 11, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      Hi Jay; kosher salt has flaky crystals that are larger than the regular table salt with a slightly different saltiness. Also a teaspoon of kosher salt weights less than a teaspoon of the regular salt! It is sold right next to the regular salt in the supermarkets. However, if you wish you could just use regular salt but maybe use less than what he recipe calls for and adjust to taste. On the whole though it is really just a personal preference!

  32. shahrooz says

    April 11, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    thank you so much, i have been cooking in new york using your recipes while in quarantine 🙂 Gheimeh is my fav dish and i cooked it for the first time tonight.

    • Homa says

      April 12, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Dearest Shahrooz, I’m delighted that my recipes are keeping you busy during these trying times. I would love to read about the other recipes that you’ve tried and are going to try 🙂
      Please be safe, have a great Sunday and keep in touch!!

  33. Naz says

    May 7, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Best Gheymeh recipe I’ve tried and my husband keeps asking me to make it.
    Also love your Fesenjoon. ??

    • Homa says

      May 9, 2020 at 12:54 pm

      Hi Naz, that is great to hear my dear! I’m very happy that you and your husband are fans of my recipes. Thanks so much for writing to me. Have a great weekend and keep in touch 🙂

  34. Sandra says

    May 9, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    Hi Homa! I’m right now prepping for this recipe for later today. I’m using double the meat. Does this mean I have to double up on everything else?

    • Homa says

      May 9, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Sandra,
      If you double the meat for the purpose of having more meat in the khoresh, you don’t necessarily need to increase the rest of the ingredients! But if you intend to serve more people than the number of servings on this recipe, you will need to increase the rest of the ingredients. I hope this answers your question. Happy cooking 🙂

  35. Tara says

    May 23, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    This was so delicious, tasted just like my moms :)!

    • Homa says

      May 24, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      That’s a top notch compliment dear Tara! Merci azizam 🙂 Have a great weekend and please keep in touch! Take care

  36. Afra says

    August 21, 2020 at 7:49 am

    I am new to Persian cooking, and I really appreciate this site, breaking everything down into simple steps and offering substitutes for ingredients!
    Love this recipe!

  37. Homa says

    August 23, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    Dear Afra, welcome to my website! I’m very happy that you like my work. I think you’ll find many favorite recipes here. I would love to get your feedback when you try them. Please take care and keep in touch 🙂

  38. Stephany says

    September 25, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    Salaam Homa Joon! My husband is Iranian, and I’ve been cooking Persian food for our family for almost 20 years, but Khoresh e Gheymeh is not in my usual cooking rotation. What brand of yellow split peas do you use? The split peas I bought turned to mush. Thank you for your help!

    • Homa says

      September 26, 2020 at 7:10 pm

      Salam Stephany joon, I use this one:
      https://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-yellow-split-peas-21-4085/
      It says slow cooking on the package which is ‘dir paz’ in Farsi.
      Hope you’ll like this brand. Take care and happy cooking 🙂

  39. Faranak says

    October 26, 2020 at 4:23 am

    Khaleh Homa!! Dastad dard nakoneh! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My mom is in Iran for 3 months and I’m in charge of the kitchen! I’m so scared to make the rice because it almost never turns out as perfect as my moms polo. I’m using your recipe today and I’m hoping to impress my family. Hopefully it will remind them of my moms cooking! Thank you so much for your blog, now that I’ve found it I will definitely be using it until my mom comes home 🙂

    • Homa says

      October 27, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Hi Faranak joon, mamnun azizam! I am so happy to hear that you’re going to put my recipes to good use, and what better time than this! I would love to read your feedback when you cook any of these recipes. How did your rice turn out? It could get tricky sometimes, but I always tell everyone even if it is not perfect the first time, it will continue to improve with practice. I know that your family loves you for trying to create delicious food for them while your mom is away. Imagine how proud she’ll be when you surprise her with your cooking 😉 Please take care and keep in touch!!

  40. Alyssa M Cosby says

    December 10, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    I was wondering the calorie count per serving. I want to make this for the residents I work with but I need to count calories for one.

  41. Homa says

    December 12, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    Hi Alyssa, I searched and found this link:
    https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
    I hope it is helpful

  42. Shadi says

    January 14, 2021 at 5:11 am

    Dear Homa, i just wrote down your recipe and cannot wait to get back home from work and cook my first gheyme – unfortunately my mom is sick and she cooked the best persian meals but i will try my best and suprise her by bringing this delicious meal to her 😉

    • Homa says

      January 14, 2021 at 9:45 am

      Dear Shadi, it is great to hear from you! I’m sorry your mom is not feeling well, I wish her a rapid recovery. This is how my mom used to make this khoresh, hope your mom will like it. Much love to you and your mom, enjoy it in good health. Please take care and keep in touch 🙂

  43. Yashar & Briauna says

    January 17, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    Dear Homa,

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe! We have started to make it almost every week, and each time it brings us joy. We live in the countryside, so we have to travel a bit to get the wonderful limoo amani, but its 100% worth it. While cooking, the fragrance of the limoo and onion makes the mouth water for an hour–irresistible!

    Best,
    Yashar & Briauna

  44. Garineh says

    November 3, 2021 at 10:57 am

    Love, love your delicious recipes. Your recipes make Iranian cuisine easier to cook and still tasty. Also since, we are reaching to the cold season, would you please post Iranian soup or hearty food recipes. Thank you!

    • Homa says

      November 10, 2021 at 3:14 pm

      Dear Garineh, Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment, I am very happy that you’re enjoying my recipes. You will find many cold weather recipes that I know you will enjoy.
      Here are some of the links but you will be able to search for more on All Recipes or Recipe Index

      https://persianmama.com/persian-herb-noodle-soup-aash-reshteh/

      https://persianmama.com/garbanzo-potage-tandir-aashi/

      https://persianmama.com/tas-kabob/

      Hope you will find many favorite recipes and you will share your experience when you try them. Please take care of yourself and have a great evening 🙂

  45. Leila says

    November 15, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Hello Huma!

    I enjoy your recipes very much and have been using your ghemeh one for some time.
    I noticed it may have been changed from before, would you happen to be able to provide the recipe prior to this so that I can refer back? I found it easier on me while cooking if possible.

    Thank you!

  46. Homa says

    November 17, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    Dear Leila, I am happy that you have been enjoying my recipes. However, we only correct typos, not the recipes, once they are published. And this gheymeh recipe has not changed since it was posted in 2015. Please take care and keep in touch 🙂

  47. Diamond Dog says

    March 7, 2022 at 9:02 am

    Do you think this could be made in a pressure cooker? (aka One Pot). I find that when you make things in a pressure cooker, the flavors penetrate the ingredients so much better. If so, how would you modify this to work in a pressure cooker?

    • Homa says

      March 7, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      I’m not sure how the khoresh consistency would be if you just added everything to the pressure cooker, as the meat will need much more time than the split peas. I usually make the meat for most of my khoresh in the pressure cooker to save time, here is an example of it, please scroll down the printable recipe until you get to cooking the meat:

      https://persianmama.com/persian-herb-stew-ghormeh-sabzi-sabzi-ghorma/

      Once the meat is cooked, I add the rest of the ingredients and cook it again for a shorter time this time. Take care and have a great week!

  48. Behzad says

    April 22, 2022 at 8:37 am

    Hello Homa
    I just want to say “آفرین به همت و حوصله و علاقه ـ تون
    با سپاس فراوان

  49. Homa says

    April 24, 2022 at 9:53 am

    درود بهزاد عزیز. تشکر فراوان از توجه و محبت شما دوست گرامی

Homa

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