Description
A traditional Persian stew, pumpkin and beef khoresh is a hearty main course for autumn. This recipe is great for meal prep. It also freezes well, so double the recipe to eat some today and freeze the rest for a quick weeknight meal. Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Whole 30.
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef chuck, preferably organic, grass fed – cubed
- ½ 3-4 lb sugar pumpkin
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup bone broth, or water
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp ghee
Instructions
- Clean the Pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin lengthwise. Clean by scooping out the seeds and pulp. Use a peeler to remove the skin. Cut the pumpkin into 1-2 inch cubes (just go for uniform size). See image for clarification.
- Sauté Onions. Start with a hot pan. Heat your pan with nothing in it for 2 minutes on medium-high. Meanwhile, chop your onions and mince your garlic. Add ghee to the hot pan. Once the ghee melts, add your garlic and onions.
- Brown the Beef. Meanwhile, salt and pepper the beef. Place your seasoned meat in the pan until all sides are browned.
- Add Pumpkin and Season. Sauté the onion, beef, and pumpkin for 2 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Sauté until the pumpkin is browned.
- Add Broth and Simmer. Add broth, cover and simmer on low for 1½ hours or until beef is tender.
- Finish with Lemon. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon. Start with ½ the lemon and add according to your taste. If you don’t have lemon on hand, use a vinegar. Cook an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve Warm. Enjoy with basmati rice, or on its own.
Notes
Batch Cook. Firstly, this is a great recipe to batch cook if you aren’t planning to make a pumpkin pie or something else with the remaining ½ pumpkin. Double the recipe to make two batches of 6-8 servings. I use half and freeze the other half for a quick dinner later in the month. I’ve also doubled the recipe and frozen the dish for up to two months.
Feel free to substitute the beef for lamb, and the pumpkin for red kurri or other winter squash. Try something new and let me know about it in the comments.
Keywords: persian, pumpkin, beef, stew, khoresh
