Gheymeh Nesar
Gheymeh Nesar is a festive and flavorful Persian rice dish from Qazvin, often served at special occasions. This recipe features tender lamb, fragrant basmati rice, and a vibrant topping of barberries, pistachios, and orange peel.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 2 hr 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Per serving
- 1,032 kcal
Allergen information: may contain milk, nuts, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cupbasmati rice, rinsed
- 500 glamb shoulder, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 1 pcsyellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tspturmeric
- 0.5 tspcinnamon
- 0.5 tspsaffron threads, ground and bloomed in 3 tbsp hot water
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
for stew
- 3 tbspvegetable oil
- 2 cupwater
topping
- 0.5 cupdried barberry, rinsed
- 1 tbspgranulated sugar
- 0.25 cuppistachio, slivered
- 2 tbsporange peel, finely julienned
- 2 tbspbutter
for rice
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
Equipment
small pan · dutch oven · large pot · colander
The method
Step by step
- 1
Begin by preparing the lamb stew. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
About 2 min
- 2
Add the lamb cubes to the hot oil and brown them on all sides.
About 8 min
Cook’s note: Do not overcrowd the pot; brown in batches if necessary.
- 3
Remove the browned lamb from the pot and set aside.
About 1 min
- 4
Add the chopped onion to the same pot and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
About 7 min
- 5
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
About 2 min
- 6
Add the turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper to the pot and stir for 1 minute.
About 1 min
- 7
Return the browned lamb to the pot. Pour in the water and half of the bloomed saffron.
About 2 min
- 8
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60-70 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender.
About 1 hr 10 min
Cook’s note: Check occasionally and add a little more water if the stew becomes too dry.
- 9
While the lamb is simmering, prepare the rice. Soak the rinsed basmati rice in salted water for at least 30 minutes, then drain.
Cook’s note: Soaking helps achieve longer, fluffier rice grains.
- 10
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the drained rice and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the grains are elongated but still firm (al dente).
About 7 min
Cook’s note: Do not overcook the rice at this stage.
- 11
Drain the par-cooked rice in a colander.
About 1 min
- 12
In a clean large pot, add vegetable oil and a thin layer of water. If desired, place a thin flatbread or potato slices on the bottom for tahdig.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Tahdig is the crispy rice crust at the bottom, a prized part of Persian rice dishes.
- 13
Gently spoon the par-cooked rice into the pot, mounding it into a pyramid shape.
About 2 min
- 14
Create a few holes in the rice mound with the handle of a spoon to allow steam to escape.
About 1 min
- 15
Cover the pot with a clean kitchen towel, then place the lid tightly on top. Cook on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until steam builds up.
About 10 min
- 16
Reduce the heat to low and continue to steam for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy.
About 40 min
- 17
While the rice steams, prepare the topping. In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat.
About 1 min
- 18
Add the rinsed barberries and granulated sugar to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the barberries are plump and glossy.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Be careful not to burn the barberries, as they can become bitter.
- 19
Stir in the slivered pistachios and julienned orange peel, and cook for another minute.
About 1 min
- 20
Remove the topping mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining bloomed saffron.
About 1 min
- 21
Once the rice is cooked, gently fluff it with a fork. Serve the fluffy rice on a large platter.
About 2 min
- 22
Spoon the tender lamb stew over the rice.
About 1 min
- 23
Generously sprinkle the barberry, pistachio, and orange peel topping over the lamb and rice.
About 1 min
- 24
Serve immediately.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 1,031.9kcal
- Protein
- 30.5g
- Carbs
- 105.6g
- Fat
- 54.9g
- Fibre
- 2.6g
- Sugar
- 7.8g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover Gheymeh Nesar in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in a microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water until warmed through.
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