Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

term for stew dishes in the

Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine () refers to the culinary practices of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 ( ...

Afghan cuisine Afghan cuisine ( ps, افغان پخلی, translit=Afghan Pakhlai, ) is influenced by Persian, Central Asian and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is mainly based on Afghanistan's main crops, suc ...

Tajik cuisine Tajik cuisine is a traditional cuisine of Tajikistan, and has much in common with Russian, Afghan, Iranian and Uzbek cuisines. ''Plov'' (pilaf) ( tg, палав, uz, palov), also called ''osh'' ( tg, ош), is the national dish in Tajikistan, as ...

and also

Kurdish cuisine Kurdish cuisine ( ku, or ''Xwarina Kurdî'') consists of a wide variety of foods prepared by the Kurdish people. There are cultural similarities of Kurds and their immediate neighbours in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Armenia. Kurdish food ...

. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ( fa, خوردن, ckb, خواردن) "to eat" and literally means "meal". It generally refers to different

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

s in the Iranian, Afghan and Kurdish cuisine, and is typically served beside

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

(rice). In Iranian cuisines there are many different khoresh with many unique ingredients. Vegetarian khoreshes are common. Iranian stews use desired amounts of

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent i ...

to give a distinctive and fragrant taste. The most popular khoreshes in Iranian cuisine are

gheimeh Gheimeh or Qeimeh ( fa, قیمه) is an Iranian cuisine, Iranian stew (''khoresh'') consisting of diced lamb and mutton, mutton, tomatoes, split peas, onion and dried lime, garnished with golden thinly sliced crispy potatoes. The stew is sometimes ...

ghormeh sabzi Ghormeh sabzi ( fa, قورمه‌ سبزی) or Khoresht sabzi ( fa, خورشت‌ سبزی), also spelled ''qormeh sabzi'', is an Iranian herb stew. It is considered the national dish of Iran. It is a very popular dish in Iran. History Ghormeh s ...

and fesenjan.

Varieties

*'' Khoresh bademjan'' (eggplant stew): including

eggplants Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

, optional boned leg of

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

or stewed beef,

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asi ...

tomato paste Tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. It is used to impart an intens ...

and medium tomatoes * ''Khoresh bādemjān lapeh'' (aubergine and yellow split pea stew): same as previous with addition of yellow

split peas Split peas are an agricultural or culinary preparation consisting of the dried, peeled and split seeds of ''Pisum sativum'', the pea. Harvesting The peas are spherical when harvested, with an outer skin. The peas are dried and the dull-coloure ...

and

Advieh ''Advieh'' ( fa, ادویه) means spice in Persian language and it is a spice mixture used in Iranian cuisine. It is used in rice dishes, as well as in chicken and bean dishes. Although its specific composition varies from the Persian Gulf t ...

* '' Khoresh bāmieh'' (okra tomato stew): Stewing lamb or beef,

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

, potatoes, onions, fresh

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

juice and tomato paste * ''Khoresh bāmieh lapeh'' (okra and yellow split pea stew): same as previous with addition of yellow split peas and Advieh * ''

Khoresh beh Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (quince stew): chunks of lamb are stewed with slices or cubes of tart

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family (biology), family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard ...

, and yellow split peas; this dish is always served with rice. * ''

Khoresh ālu Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (prune stew) * ''

Khoresh ālu esfenaj Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (

prune A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica''). Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. A prune is the firm-fleshed fruit (plum) of ''Prunus domestica'' varieties that have a high solu ...

and

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

stew) *''Khoresht e khalal'' (almond beef stew): a local stew of the city of Kermanshah in west of Iran, its ingredients are onion, lamb, and mutton in very small sizes, saffron, and lots of almonds slices. Local oil (roghan kermanshahi) can also be used. * ''Khoresh

fesenjān Fesenjān ( fa, فسنجان; also called ''fesenjoon'' in Tehrani dialect) is a sweet and sour Iranian stew (a khoresh) from Northern Iran. It is typically served over rice in the Iranian manner. Like other ''khoresh'' stews served over rice, ...

'' or ''fesenjun'' (pomegranate stew) including

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

or chicken, or beef meatballs, ground

walnuts A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bot ...

, onions,

pomegranate molasses Pomegranate molasses, also known as Dibs Ar-rumman ( ar, دبس الرمان, rakkaz rimonim he, רכז רימונים, robb-e anâr fa, رب انار, "pomegranate syrup"), and nar ekshisi ( tr, nar ekşisi, "pomegranate sour"), is a Middle Eas ...

, sugar * ''Khoresh havij'' (

carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nat ...

stew) * ''

Khoresh kadu Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (

zucchini The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are stil ...

stew): pan-fried whole or long-cut sliced

, stewed

, beef or chicken,

and whole or split pan-fried tomatoes * ''Khoresh qārch'' (

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

stew)

* '' Khoresh gheimeh'' (split-pea lamb stew) including stewed lamb or beef, Split-peas, onions, potatoes, tomato paste and dried limes * '' Khoresh ghormeh sabzi'' (fresh herb and lamb stew) including red kidney or black-eyed beans, fresh

fenugreek Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...

, parsley, coriander or parsley, spring onions or

leeks The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

, boned leg of lamb, onion and dried limes * ''

Khoresh kangar Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' * ''Khoresh karafs'' (celery beef stew) including lamb or beef,

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, lea ...

, onions, fresh lime juice, mint, and parsley * ''

Khoresh lubia sabz Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (

green bean Green beans are young, unripe fruits of various cultivars of the common bean ('' Phaseolus vulgaris''), although immature or young pods of the runner bean (''Phaseolus coccineus''), yardlong bean ( ''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis ...

stew) * ''

Khoresh rivās Khoresh ( fa, خورش) or Khoresht ( fa, خورشت, ckb, خۆرشت) is a generic Iranian term for stew dishes in the Iranian cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Tajik cuisine and also Kurdish cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb ''khordan'' ...

'' (

rhubarb Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks ( petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of ''Rheum'' in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The whole plant – a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizo ...

stew) * '' Khoresh vij vij'' (meat and veggies stew) Salt, pepper,

advieh ''Advieh'' ( fa, ادویه) means spice in Persian language and it is a spice mixture used in Iranian cuisine. It is used in rice dishes, as well as in chicken and bean dishes. Although its specific composition varies from the Persian Gulf t ...

, and oil are also used in these dishes.

References

Iranian stews Persian words and phrases Kurdish cuisine Tajik cuisine Afghan cuisine {{iran-cuisine-stub

Varieties

See also

References