isithalal.food · Recipes

Persian herb, red bean and lamb stew with Halal lamb

Leyli Homayoonfar's Persian-inspired stew: Halal lamb shanks braised with red kidney beans, turmeric and dried limes, then with fried coriander, parsley, chives, leek and fenugreek until falling off the bone.

Persian · Main · Easy · 4 portions · 240 min

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

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Why Halal checks matter here

The stew is made with 4 lamb shoulder shanks (about 900 g), which are Halal only from a Halal-slaughtered animal.

Halal-critical ingredients

• Lamb shanks: Lamb is Halal only from a Halal-slaughtered animal, and lamb without a Halal mark doesn't say how the animal was slaughtered. Buy the shanks from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Lamb.

Ingredients

Stew

• 100 g dried red kidney beans
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 Halal lamb shoulder shanks (about 900 g)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 Persian dried limes

Herbs

• 100 g coriander
• 400 g parsley
• 1 leek, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 100 g chives, finely sliced
• squeeze lime juice, to taste (optional)

Method

1. Soak the beans. Put the kidney beans in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hour.
2. Sear the lamb. Heat a flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat for a few minutes, then add 2 tbsp of the oil. Season the lamb and sear it on all sides until golden brown, then lift it out. Fry the onions over a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Start the braise. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the onions with the turmeric and dried limes, stirring to coat them in the oil. Return the lamb and pour over 1 litre of water, or enough to cover it. Bring to the boil, cover, turn down to a simmer and braise gently for 1 hour.
4. Fry the herbs. Blitz the coriander and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. In a separate frying pan over a medium heat, fry the leek in the remaining 1 tbsp oil for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the fenugreek, blitzed herbs and chives, in batches if easier, and fry for 5 minutes until the herbs are dark green.
5. Finish the stew. Stir the herb mixture into the stew with 250 to 500 ml hot water and braise for 2 hours more, until the lamb is completely tender and falling off the bone. Add a dash of hot water if the sauce gets too thick. Season with a good pinch or two of sea salt and, depending on the sourness from the limes, a squeeze of lime juice.

Allergens

none

How this recipe was researched

Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Persian herb, red bean & lamb stew' by Leyli Homayoonfar, which describes it as inspired by the Persian food she grew up with (serves 4: 100 g dried red kidney beans covered with boiling water and soaked 1 hour; 4 lamb shoulder shanks (about 900 g) seasoned and seared on all sides in 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a flameproof casserole and set aside; 2 chopped onions fried gently 8 to 10 minutes; the drained beans, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 6 Persian dried limes stirred in, the lamb returned with 1 litre water or enough to cover, brought to the boil, covered and simmered 1 hour; 100 g coriander and 400 g parsley blitzed fine; a trimmed, finely chopped leek fried 6 to 8 minutes in 1 tbsp oil, then 1½ tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, the herbs and 100 g finely sliced chives fried 5 minutes until dark green; the herb mixture and 250 to 500 ml hot water stirred into the stew and braised 2 hours more until the lamb falls off the bone; seasoned with sea salt and an optional squeeze of lime; served with sliced red onion and steamed rice). We specified Halal lamb shanks; nothing else needed changing. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Photograph from our ingredient library: an Irish stew, not the finished dish from this recipe.