Khoresh Kadoo Halvaei, also known as Persian pumpkin stew, is a traditional Iranian stew that is especially popular in southern Iran, including Bushehr. It combines tender meat with pumpkin, plums, tomato paste, and aromatic spices.
With its rich color, warm spices, and mildly sweet and tangy flavor, this stew is especially enjoyable during the fall and winter months. Pumpkin also gives the dish a beautiful color and a soft, naturally sweet flavor.
If you enjoy traditional Persian stews, this is a comforting dish to add to your fall and winter menu.
How to make khoresh kadoo halvaei?
Pumpkin stew is prepared in different ways across Iran, and the ingredients can vary from one region to another. In southern Iran, especially Bushehr, local variations of this dish are particularly popular.
The stew can be made with lamb or other red meat, although some people prefer to prepare it with chicken.
Khoresh kadoo halvaei recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
The number of calories per 100 grams: 59.2 kcal
Ingredient:
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mutton | 0.6–0.7 lb (270–320 g) |
| Pumpkin | 1.1 lb (500 g) |
| Stewed plums | As needed |
| Onion | 1 medium |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Tomato paste | 2 tablespoons |
| Lime juice | 3 tablespoons |
| Turmeric | ½ teaspoon |
| Black pepper | ¼ teaspoon |
| Red pepper | As needed |
| Cinnamon | ½ teaspoon |
| Curry powder | ¼ teaspoon |
| Salt | As needed |
| Brewed saffron | 1–2 tablespoons |
| Butter | 0.1 lb (about 45 g) |
| Liquid oil | As needed |
Instruction :
1. First, chop the onion to prepare this traditional and delicious stew. Pour a little oil into a suitable pot. Add the chopped onion, fry the onion, and let it caramelize and fry a little.
2. Then add the mutton to the fried onions. Stir again and let the meat fry a little. Chop or grate the garlic. After roasting the meat with onions, add the garlic.
3. Then, add the spices. Do not add salt at this stage because it prevents the meat from cooking properly and on time.
After adding the spices, stir all the ingredients well so the spices are roasted and the aroma comes out.
4. Then add the tomato paste. Stir well and let the tomato paste and other ingredients fry a little on low heat to become more colorful!
5. After that, add one or two tablespoons of brewed saffron. Now, add about two to three cups of water to the meat mixture.
Close the lid of the pot. Reduce the heat and let the meat cook. It may take almost two hours to cook the meat.
6. Meanwhile, peel the pumpkins and cut them into equal pieces. It is better to make cuts of the same size.
The slices should be thick enough because the pumpkins are supposed to be cooked and fully visible in the stew.
Now pour some butter into a suitable non-stick pan and put it on the heat until the butter melts, and add the pumpkins to the butter.
7. At this stage, you should fry the pumpkins in butter. When one side of the pumpkin is red and golden, turn it over and make the other side of the pumpkin red and golden in the same way.
Until all parts of the pumpkin are completely fried.
8. After the meat cooking process is complete and the meat is cooked, add the fried pumpkins in butter to the meat mixture and then add the salt.
9. Also add lemon juice to the stew. Now it’s time to add the delicious plums to the stew. Add the plums to the stew.
10. Close the pot lid again and let the pumpkins and plums soften for about half an hour until the stew is entirely ready.
At this stage, you can add a little saffron to make the stew more colorful. There is no need to crush and soften the pumpkins!
Otherwise, when cooking this Persian stew in the serving dish, the pumpkins will be crushed, and the stew will lose its original shape.
Pumpkins should be fully cooked, but they should not be crushed too much.
After adding pumpkins and plums for half an hour, the stew is completely settled and ready. This stew should not be too juicy.
It should be glazed but not too watery. In any case, it depends on your taste!
11. Now, Persian pumpkin stew is ready for lunch! Colorful and glazed stew, delicious and nutritious. Just put the stew in the serving dish.
You can also use some pistachio slices to decorate the stew. So, when you ask yourself what to make with pumpkin? You can make this delicious stew.
It is usually served with saffron rice and side dishes such as Sir Torshi, Mast o Khiar, and Zeytoon Parvardeh.
Notes :
- As mentioned in the beginning, this stew is prepared in different ways, and you can add flavor to the stew according to your taste!
- You can use some cob in this stew, but the amount of cob should be manageable, like khoresh gheymeh. Two tablespoons are enough for this amount of ingredients. Bushharis people sometimes add potatoes or tomatoes to this stew; even lentils are used!
- You can add potatoes and tomatoes to the stew according to your taste.
- You should add salt in stews with meat such as lamb or beef after ensuring the meat is cooked. If you add it first, the meat will be slowly cooked, and it will take longer.
- This stew is one of the stews that somehow has a sour flavor! Many people may make this stew sweet or give it a sweet taste.
- Khoresh kadoo sabz, ghalieh kadoo halvaei, and khoresh havij are very close to this Iranian stew.
- For this purpose, you can add one or two tablespoons of sugar when adding plums to this stew. If you do not like sweet stews, remove the sugar. In this recipe, sugar is removed, and the stew has a more sour taste! You can increase or decrease the amount of lemon juice in the stew.
- Finally, by tasting khoresh kadoo halvaei, you can increase or decrease its seasoning.
- Be sure to fry the pumpkins in butter for a better taste and aroma.
- You can increase or decrease the amount and proportion of meat and pumpkin according to your taste.
- You can also use cardamom as a flavoring agent for this dish. If you use cardamom powder, add a quarter of a teaspoon to the stew at the beginning. If you are using cardamom seeds, add them to the stew for the last half hour, and remove them from the stew at the end.
- Pay attention to the aroma of cardamom, which should be manageable because other aromas, such as cinnamon and saffron, are also used in this stew. One cardamom is enough for this stew.
FAQ
1. What is served with Khoresh Kadoo Halvaei?
It is traditionally served with Persian saffron rice. Side dishes such as Mast o Khiar, Sir Torshi, and Zeytoon Parvardeh also pair well with the stew.
2. Can I freeze Persian pumpkin stew?
Yes. Allow the stew to cool completely, place it in an airtight container, and freeze it for up to one month. Keep in mind that the pumpkin may become softer after thawing.
3. Can I use chicken instead of lamb?
Yes. Chicken can be used instead of lamb if you prefer a lighter version of the dish. Adjust the cooking time according to the type and size of the chicken pieces.
4. How do I keep the pumpkin from falling apart?
Cut the pumpkin into thick, evenly sized pieces and fry them lightly in butter before adding them to the stew. Avoid stirring the stew too much after adding the pumpkin.
5. Can I make this stew sweeter?
Yes. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, add one or two tablespoons of sugar when adding the plums. For a more traditional sour flavor, leave the sugar out and adjust the amount of lime juice to taste.
