Khoreshe albaloo

Sour cherry and meat sauce

By: Tess Mallos
From: The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook
Serves: 6
Photographer: Alan Benson

Sour black cherries are not readily available in many areas. However, table cherries can give almost the same flavour with the addition of more lime or lemon juice, making this khoreshe possible. Perhaps the flavour will not be quite the same, but it will be just as enjoyable.

Morello cherries, though not the same as the sour black cherries of Persia, may be used with less adjustment to the tartness of the dish; the morello is thought to be a descendant of the albaloo, the Persian sour cherry.

If one wishes to be pedantic, when using the sweet table cherry, the name of the dish should be khoreshe guillass. However, a Persian would not have heard of such a dish!

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
500g	lean lamb or veal stewing meat
60g	ghee
or 60ml	oil
1	large onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon	ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon	ground cinnamon
	salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
250g	black cherries, pitted, preferably a sour variety
1-3 tablespoons	lime or lemon juice
	brown sugar, to taste

Method

Trim the meat and cut into 2 cm cubes.
Heat half the ghee or oil in a heavy-based saucepan and brown the meat on each side. Remove to a plate.
Using the ghee or oil remaining in the pan, gently fry the onion until translucent. Stir in the turmeric and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and add 125 ml water. Add the cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes.
Add the cherries and simmer for 10 minutes to release their flavour. Taste the sauce. If the cherries are sufficiently sour, add 1 tablespoon of the lime or lemon juice and enough brown sugar to give a pleasant sweet–sour flavour; if sweet cherries are used, add more lime or lemon juice, and a little sugar if necessary to balance the flavour.
Cover and simmer for a further 20 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Serve with chelou, kateh or a polou.

Tags:: The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook; Tess; Mallos; Middle Eastern

Khoreshe albaloo

Sour cherry and meat sauce

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