How to Cook Persian Plum Stew | Khoresht Aloo Recipe

Plum Stew or Khoresht Aloo is one of the sweet and sour dishes within Persian cuisine, which is highly popular among Iranian families. This dish is cooked using renowned Bokhara Plums or Aloo Bokhara, which are essentially dried plums (prunes) boiled in water and skinned and dried under the sun. Khoresht Aloo is a delicious dish that can be served both on formal and informal occasions. If you are a meat lover, then you must not miss out on the chance of cooking this tasty dish. In the following, we have provided you with the step-by-step recipe for Khoresht Aloo.

Other Persian Stews:

• Khoresh Bademjan Recipe; Persian Eggplant Stew
• Khoresh Karafs (Persian Celery Stew)
• Khoresht Aloo Esfenaj Recipe; Persian Spinach and Prune Stew
• Khoresh-e-Fesenjoon (Persian Walnut And Pomegranate Stew)
• Persian Zucchini Stew (Khoresh Kadoo Sabz)

Persian Plum Stew Ingredients

• Lamb: 500 grams
• Aloo Bokhara (dried plums): 250 grams
• Carrot: 1 medium-sized
• Onion: 1 medium-sized
• Potato: 1 large-sized
• Barberries: 1 cup
• Golab (rose extract): 1/3 cup
• Sugar: ½ cup
• Vegetable oil: 1 cup
• Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
• Bloomed Saffron: ½ cups
• Water: as much as needed
• Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Turmeric: as much as needed

How to cook khoresht aloo?

1. First, wash the onion carefully and peel it. Then slice the onion into small chunks and add it to the pan. Add some oil to the onions and fry the onions on medium heat.
2. Once the onions turn golden, add sliced lamb to the onions and start stirring till the color of the meat changes and it gets slightly cooked.
3. Add some tomato paste with some spices to the meat and onion mixture and stir them for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add about five glasses of water to the mixture. Close the lid and let the mixture come to a boil.
5. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce the pan’s heat and let the mixture cook for at least one hour.
6. While the meat is cooking, remove the plums and pour them into an ice pan. After letting them sit for a couple of minutes, remove the plums from the ice pan, add plums to the meat and onions mixture and let it cook for another 30 minutes.
7. Wash the carrot carefully and slice it into tiny bits. Once you have chopped the carrot into nicely shaped pieces, add it to the stew and let it cook for another couple of minutes.
8. Wash the potato carefully and peel it. We use potatoes mostly as a garnish for Khoresht Aloo. Therefore, you must chop it nicely. Once you have chopped the potato, fry it in a pan and set it aside as a garnish.
9. We use barberries also as a garnish. Pour them into a pan, add sugar and oil, and start stirring. Once the barberries change their color into a slightly darker color, they are ready.
10. Once the meat is cooked properly, it is time to let the dish rest for a while. At this time, add Golab and Saffron mixture to the dish and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Once the Khoresht has slightly cooled down, it is time to serve it. Pour some of the mixtures on a plate and design it with barberries and fried potato and serve it with Basmati rice.

See also: How to make Zereshk polo ba morgh? (barberry rice with chicken)

In this article, we provided you with the step-by-step recipe for Khoresh Aloo or Plums Stew. Use our recipe and cook Khoresht Aloo and invite your loved ones to a divine fine dining experience.

FAQs for Persian Plum stew

• I don’t eat meat. Can I make Khoresht Aloo using chicken?

Sure, most Iranians like to cook this dish with chicken.

• Is Khoresht Aloo too sour?

No, it is not. The sour tastes of the plums disappear once you add them to the dish and let them cook for another 30 minutes. However, if you still find it too sour after you have cooked the dish, you can add a little bit of sugar and water to the Khoresht and let it cook for another 30 minutes.

• Do you have to add Golab to the dish? Doesn’t it make the dish taste funny?

Of course not! Golab is a necessary ingredient in the dish since it provides your Khoresht with a divine aroma. However, make sure not to add too much Golab because you don’t want to disturb the balance of the stew.