Khoresht Fesenjan Recipe – Persian Vegetarian Pomegranate Walnut Stew

Ingredients

• 100 grams Walnuts toasted and ground to coarse powder (shelled)
• 4 cups Pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Onion thinly sliced
• 150 grams Kaddu (Parangikai/ Pumpkin) (yellow), peeled and cut into chunks
• 150 grams Button mushrooms halved
• 1 Red Bell pepper (Capsicum) diced
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• 2 Bay leaves (tej patta)
• Saffron strands a few
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
• Fresh Pomegranate Fruit Kernels
• 1 Walnuts toasted, roughly chopped
• Spring Onion Greens to garnish

Steps

1. To begin making the Khoresht Fesenjan Recipe -Persian Vegetarian Pomegranate Walnut Stew; heat the oil in a large dutch oven or a casserole over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and saute until tender and slightly caramelized. Stir in the Pumpkins, Mushrooms and zucchini, season with salt and saute for about 5 minutes until lightly tender. Cook the vegetables until al dente, as we will be cooking them later in the sauce. Transfer the sauteed vegetables into another bowl and keep aside.
3. Add a little more olive oil to the same pan; add the ground walnuts and saute the walnuts for about 5 minutes on low heat until they are lightly browned. Stir in the salt, cinnamon, and saffron and saute for a few seconds.
4. To the walnut mixture, add the onion and vegetable mixture that we sauteed earlier, honey and finally add the pomegranate juice. Give the ingredients a good stir until they are well combined.
5. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked through the the stew has a rich flavor. Check the salt and other seasonings and adjust to suit your taste. You can also adjust the consistency of the stew by adding water to suit your taste.
6. Serve the Khoresht Fesenjan Recipe warm along with saffron pilaf for a weeknight dinner or even as a main course for parties.