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.
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.
The yellow split peas used in this recipe are called “dir paz,” which literally means longer cooking. This kind of split peas look exactly the same as the regular split peas but basically are a firmer variety that 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is the Aromatic Rice that is steamed with Persian Rice Spice and a sprinkle of saffron.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- To serve, add Steamed Aromatic Rice to the plates and add Gheymeh on top. Next top the Gheymeh with fried potatoes.
- Please refer to the How To section on my blog for Aromatic Steamed Rice directions.
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.
The Persian Market in the SLC area: www.blackcherrymarket.com/
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 ..
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.
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?
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!
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!
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 🙂
Thank you so much for your quick response! I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
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!
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!
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!
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 🙂
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!! ❤️
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!
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 :/
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.
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!!
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..
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.
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!
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
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!
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!!!
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 😉
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!!!
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 😉