Khoresh-e aam

Name: Khoresh-e aam
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Persia
Ingredients: 700 g lamb shoulder, cut into 4cm pieces; 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes; 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 0.5 tsp saffron threads, dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp ground cardamom; 0.5 tsp ground turmeric; 0.25 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 300 ml lamb or chicken stock; 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or tamarind paste; 1 tbsp sugar or honey; 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee; 1 tsp salt

Persian lamb braised with ripe mango and saffron: the fruit khoresh of Iran's southern provinces, sweet, aromatic, and ancient

Origin: Persia

From the journey of Mango.

Khoresh is the genre of slow-braised Persian stews, served with rice, that forms the backbone of Iranian home cooking. While most khoresh are built around herbs and sour flavourings (pomegranate, dried lime, barberries), southern Iranian cuisine (influenced by the Persian Gulf and its trading connections to India and East Africa) embraces tropical fruit in savoury cooking. Khoresh-e aam (aam being the Persian word for mango, borrowed from the same Sanskrit root as the Indian aam) is the khoresh of Hormozgan and Bushehr provinces, where mango trees grow. It is the flavour of the Persian Gulf: fragrant with saffron and warm spices, enriched with lamb, sweetened by ripe mango.

Ingredients

Meat

700 g lamb shoulder, cut into 4cm pieces

Mango

2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes

Base

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
300 ml lamb or chicken stock

Spices

0.5 tsp saffron threads, dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground cardamom
0.5 tsp ground turmeric
0.25 tsp ground black pepper

Souring

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or tamarind paste

Balancing

1 tbsp sugar or honey

For cooking

3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

Method

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and turmeric and brown in batches until deeply coloured on all sides. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining oil and fry the onions over medium heat for 15 minutes until deeply golden. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes.
Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
Return the lamb to the pot. Add the stock, saffron water, and pomegranate molasses or tamarind. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and cook for 60 minutes.
Add the diced mango to the stew. Add the sugar or honey. Stir gently. Continue cooking uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the mango has softened and partially melted into the sauce, which will have thickened and turned golden.
Taste and adjust: the khoresh should be sweet-sour-savoury and deeply fragrant. Balance with more pomegranate molasses (for sourness), honey (for sweetness), or salt as needed. Serve with steamed basmati rice (kateh or chelo).

Notes

Khoresh-e aam is a speciality of Iran's southern provinces (Hormozgan, Bushehr, Khuzestan) where the climate allows mango cultivation. It is less well known than the great national khoresh dishes (ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan, bademjan) but considered among the finest fruit khoresh of Iranian cuisine. The combination of lamb with sweet tropical fruit is a Persian tradition going back millennia, rooted in the ancient silk road flavour aesthetic of contrasting meat and fruit.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control