Nura’s recipe

Fruit is a main ingredient of this koresh. The recipe calls for pie apples, but it can also be prepared with quinces or peaches in the same way. If using quinces/peaches, 1/3 cup yellow split peas should be added to the meat/water mixture at the start of the simmering time (this adds “body” to the koresh); use 2 quinces or 5 medium size firm peaches, sliced and lightly sautéed.

Servings: About 4

Ingredients for koresh sib

Instructions

Step 1: Cut the meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the beef and onion with the cinnamon and turmeric (salt to taste). Add 2 cups water and simmer 40 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, peel and slice the apples; sauté in the butter.

Step 3: Add the apples, lemon, and sugar to the meat mixture. Simmer a few minutes until the apples are tender.

Recipe © Nura Amerson 1991

Layli’s Reflections

Generally, I like my meals to be predominantly savory, with sweetness reserved for dessert. So, I was leery of this dish, since apples are so sweet. However, it turned out to have a nice balance of flavors.

Like Jasmine says in her reflection below, five apples proved too much, even with the cheaper cooking apples I bought. Maybe apples have gotten bigger since my mom wrote her cookbook in 1991? In any case, two proved to be enough. (But if you’re an apple fanatic, by all means, go with five!)

Also like Jasmine, I made this recipe vegetarian; I used some fake beef sold in my grocery store’s meat section. I skipped the 40-minute stewing stage entirely because that step helps make real beef tender, while it doesn’t do much for the texture of meat substitutes.

Jasmine’s Reflections

With the warm weather, it felt like a good time to try a fruity dish. I got five Honeycrisp apples. They were big, and after slicing them I decided the apple-to-meat ratio would be too high, so I only used about half of the apples. For “meat,” I used Quorn meatless pieces.

Back to Katayoon’s Kitchen