Iranian · intermediate
Iranian Mint And Celery Braised Beef
A fragrant Persian herb stew featuring tender beef simmered with pan-fried mint, parsley, crisp celery, and whole dried lime.
- PREP TIME
- 20 min
- COOK TIME
- 65 min
- SERVES
- 4
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, then sauté diced onion for 6 minutes until translucent.
- 02
Add the cubed beef chuck and ground turmeric, searing the meat for 8 minutes until browned on all sides.
- 03
Pour in 2.5 cups of hot water, submerge the pierced dried limes, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for 35 minutes.
- 04
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a separate skillet over medium heat, cooking the celery pieces for 5 minutes until slightly tender.
- 05
Stir the chopped parsley and mint into the celery skillet and fry for 4 minutes until herbs darken in color and smell fragrant.
- 06
Transfer the fried herb and celery mixture into the beef pot, re-cover, and cook for 20 minutes until the beef is tender and oil floats on top.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Saborizing Herbs
Briefly pan-frying fresh soft herbs in oil to concentrate their aromatics before adding them into a long-simmered braise.
Notes from the kitchen
- Piercing the dried limes allows their tart juice to gently infuse into the broth without bitter seeds spilling out.
- Sautéing mint briefly prevents it from turning bitter while locking in its deep aromatic essential oils.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Iranian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.
