Khoresht Karafs Recipe

Khoresht Karafs (Khoresh e Karafs, خورش کرفس) is a dish of Persian stew made by celery. Karafs is the Persian word for celery. This food is one of those binary foods. People either like it a lot or do not like it at all. If you haven’t eaten the stew yet, you may say; cooked celery stalks? Oh no! However, I am here to tell you these celery stalks cooked along with some herbs and meat can make the most delightful taste of history. Like all other stews, Iranians serve Khoresh Karafs with a dish of rice, usually Chelo.

It is not an official food, and it is not served in important ceremonies. However, you can serve it in parties and casual gatherings. Since someone might dislike this stew totally, it is a risk to cook it for unknown guests. Iranians cook it for ordinary lunch or dinner meals. It is a great choice to feel the freshness of a vegetable in a Persian dish.

Different types of Khoresht Karafs:

Meat is the component that creates different kinds of this stew. Iranians mostly cook Khoresh Karsfs with beef or lamb. However, there is Khoresh Karafs ba Morgh which contains chicken.

You can also make it with meatballs made out of ground beef. Moreover, you can replace meat with beans.

Important Nutrition Facts of Khoresht Karafs:

Khoresh Karafs has 173 kcal per 100gr. It has a notable amount of 30 gr water, protein, and carbohydrates. It contains lots of necessary vitamins such as 7 mg vitamin E and 10 mg vitamin C. It has 128 mg potassium, 19 mg calcium, and 9 mg magnesium and many other minerals. You should add Chelo’s calorie and nutrition to these amounts.

Vegetarian tip:

Except for meat, all other ingredients have vegetable sources. So, for a vegetarian Khoresh Karafs, all you need to do is changing the meat. You can either omit the meat or replace it with something else. You can replace the meat with pinto beans or soybeans. You need to soak the beans for some hours. Then cook them separately and add them to vegetables and cook them with some water.

Serving style of Khoresht Karafs:

Iranians serve Khoresh Karafs as the main course for dinner or lunch. Inevitably, a dish of rice, usually Chelow, comes along with the dish. You may also use Kateh instead of Chelo. Sabzi Khordan(سبزی خوردن) is the best side dish next to Khoresh Karafs. You can use Torshi(ترشی) or Shirazi Salad, but they can add to the sour taste of the meal. All drinks are welcomed next to this food. Nevertheless, Doogh (Persian yogurt drink) is the best choice for a drink with Karafs stew.

What are the ingredients of Khoresht Karafs?

The main ingredient is celery. You can use only the stalks of the celery or use the leaves, too. The other component is meat. Usually, beef or lamb, but chicken can be used, also. The herbs used in this stew, include mint and parsley. You can either use them fresh or dried. Onion, some spices such as saffron, turmeric, and salt are the other ingredients. Moreover, if you are thinking about cooking Khoresh Karafs, you need to prepare a dish of rice, too. Therefore rice is another ingredient here.

Cooking process of Khoresht Karafs:

To cook Khoresh Karafs, you should first wash celeries. Then cut the leaves out. You should dice the celery stalks in 1-2 inch size. If you are going to use fresh herbs, you should wash, dry, and chop them well. For meat, you have to cut them into 2-3 inch cubes. You can even use chicken breast and cut it into cubes.

You have to saute celeries with oil and then add the herbs to it. You can chop celery leaves and add them at this point. Moreover, you need to saute meat with onion and turmeric in some oil. Then you mix the vegetables and meat and cook them with some water for 1-2 hours. You ought to wait until the components make chemistry together.

Recipe:

This recipe is adequate for four people. The preparation time is 30 minutes, and the cooking time is 2 hours. You need to prepare a dish of Chelo to serve with Khoresh Karafs.