Lamb and split pea Persian stew

Babiche Martens

I have been using a lot of split peas lately. Maybe because my cousin has just moved to Egypt and keeps sending snaps of delicious dishes that use them, like this Persian stew. Cook it slowly so it’s full of flavour, and then simply serve with couscous.

Ingredients

¼ cup	Olive oil
1	Onion, diced
1	Leek, diced (Main)
1 tsp	Turmeric
½ tsp	Cinnamon
2 tsp	Ground coriander
2 tsp	Dill, dried
500 g	Lamb shoulder, cubed (Main)
1 Ltr	Chicken stock
½ cup	White wine
2	Limes, halved
1 Tbsp	Chopped rosemary
100 g	Yellow split peas (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
1 tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
4 servings	Couscous, to serve, and green vegetables

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. In a large frying pan heat the oil to a medium heat. Add the onion and leek. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes to soften. Stir through the turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and dill until fragrant.
3. Turn up the heat a little and add the lamb, tossing around to get the flavours of the spices. Pour in the stock, wine and add the limes and rosemary. Cover and place into the oven for 1½ hours.
4. Then add the split peas, season with salt and pepper, then return to the oven for another hour or until the lamb is completely tender. Add a little extra seasoning if required.
5. Serve hot with fluffy couscous and a green vegetable.

More warming meals from Angela

• Curried kumara soup
• Chilli crumb leeks with artichoke crisps