Rhubarb Stew or Khoresht Reevaas

It is spring here and Irish rhubarb has hit the shops. All winter I have been waiting to make Khoresht Reevaas or Rhubarb Stew. In April I posted a recipe for Khoresh Baddemjaan (Eggplant Stew). This stew is almost the same, just make with rhubarb not eggplant.
Rhubarb Stew or Khoresht Reevaas
severs 4
1 chopped onion
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 cup of stewing meat (lamb or beef)
1/4 cup yellow split lentils
1 tsp tomato paste
1 dried lime
salt, pepper, hot pepper
1 tsp mint
1 tsp parlsey
3 stalks rhubarb

In a pot over med heat brown the onion in the oil and turmeric. Add the stewing meat and seal. Add the yellow lentils. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomato paste, drop in the dried lime*, salt, pepper, herbs and hot pepper if you like. Its a good idea to cut the lime in half. Put on the lowest heat and let stew 2 to 8 hours. Just make sure it doesn't dry out.
*Note if you do not have dried lime and or you don't like sour then you can leave out the dried lime as the rhubarb is sour.

Cut the rhubarb in 1 1/2 inch sticks. Drop into the stew for the last 5 min, so they soften but don't turn into a string mess.
I've made this stew 2 times this month, 1 beef and 1 lamb. It has a light fresh taste which is perfect for spring. We had our with rice.

Khoresh Baademjaan- Eggplant Stew

Simple to throw into a pot and forget about, Khoresh Baddemjaan (Eggplant Stew) has big flavors. Salt/sour and if youare my mother-in-law spicy. The eggplant melts in your mouth. Wow this is one tasty stew.
Khoresh Baademjaan (Eggplant Stew)
severs 4
1 chopped onion
1 tsp oil + more for frying eggplant
1 cup of stewing meat (lamb or beef)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup yellow split lentils
1 tsp tomato paste
1 dried lime (or lemon/lime juice)
salt, pepper, hot pepper
1 eggplant

In a pot over med heat brown the onion in the oil. Add the stewing meat and seal. Add the turmeric and yellow lentils. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomato paste, drop in the dried lime, salt, pepper and hot pepper if you like. Its a good idea to cut the lime in half. Put on the lowest heat and let stew 2 to 8 hours. Just make sure it doesn't dry out. Note if you do not have dried lime add 1 Tbs lime/lemon juice 5 min before severing.

Before severing peal and slice the eggplant from top to tail. Can get 8-10 slices from 1 med eggplant. Fry the eggplant in oil until golden on each side. Sometimes I salt and remove extra water from the eggplant before frying and sometimes I don't use oil when I fry the eggplant. Oil and salt are yummy, so its up to you!

Place the eggplant on top of the stew for the last 5 min.

Enjoy with rice.

Shevid Polow Ba Goosh

This stew is the easiest of all the Iranian stews I know of and even my brothers like it. I learned how to make it from the oddest source. Once I was in my local supermarket cafe, which happened to be in a parking lot. An Irish woman setting next to my husband and I started talking to us. She told us that her 'partner' is Iranian. Small world. She told me about this stew he makes. I have been making it even sense.
Meat and Onion Stew
Brown some meat in a thick pot. Its good to use a cut that has a bone in it. Take out the meat.
Chop 2-4 onions in thick rings and cook them in the pot until they get a nice color.
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and the meat back to the pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and let cook for 2 hours +.
My mother in-law gave me some dried fava beans so I soaked them earlier in the day and added them to the stew with the turmeric. I have also used white beans in the past. I like beans, but if you don't then leave them out.

Shevid Polow
To make dill rice just follow the recipe for normal rice but add 1/2 cup dried or fresh dill to it. I made Polow, which is proper Iranian rice.
Soak 2 cups of rice in salted water for a few hours.
Drain soaked rice and bring a big pot of water to boil. Add rice and boil until aledenta about 5 min. Drain the rice and rinse.
Put 1/2 tsp oil in the bottom of a pot or rice maker. Layer 1/3 of the rice on top of the oil then1/4 cup dill, and repeat ending with rice. With the end of a wooden spoon make five steam wholes in the rice. Just stick the spoon in the rice! Put 1 tsp oil over the top. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the lid of the rice maker or pot and pop on top. Steam the rice for 30 min. Can put a few tsp of butter in the last few min of steaming.