Gheime, Persian Split Pea Stew
Gheime is a weeknight stew in Iran, thin and brothy, built on yellow split peas and made unmistakable by limoo amani, the sun-dried limes that turn nearly black and taste sour and smoky at once. Pierce them and drop them in whole, and they slowly release an acidity that carries the pot in place of salt. The customary garnish is a heap of thin fried potatoes; roasting the batons dry and hot gets them crisp with no oil. Serve it ladled over brown rice, with the potatoes on top so they stay crunchy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yellow split peas, rinsed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Canned crushed tomatoes, no-salt-added
- 3 wholes Dried limes, pierced a few times with a knife
- 1/4 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
- 2 wholes Potatoes, cut into thin batons
Method
- Sweat the onion in a pot with a few tablespoons of water until soft and golden, about 10 minutes, then stir in the garlic and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Turmeric needs a moment in the heat to lose its raw, chalky edge before the liquid goes in.
- Push the onion aside, add the tomato paste to the bare pot, and toast it until it turns brick red, about 2 minutes. This caramelizing step is where a deep, savory background comes from.
- Add the split peas and 3 cups (720 ml) water, but hold the crushed tomatoes and dried limes back for now. Bring to a boil, skim off the pale foam, then simmer partly covered until the peas are just starting to turn tender, about 25 minutes. Split peas are dehulled, so they need no soaking, but they soften only in plain water: stir the acidic tomatoes and dried limes in this early and they would keep the peas firm for an hour.
- Now stir in the crushed tomatoes, the pierced dried limes, the cinnamon, and the black pepper. Simmer, partly covered, for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the peas are tender but still hold their shape. Gheime is not a puree, so stop before they collapse, and add a splash of water if it thickens faster than the peas soften.
- While the stew simmers, roast the potato batons on a lined tray at 450 F (230 C), turning once, until crisp and browned, about 25 minutes. Crisped dry in the oven, they give the fried-potato topping that defines the dish without the oil it is usually fried in.
- Near the end, press each dried lime against the side of the pot to squeeze its juice back in, then taste. The whole limes give both sourness and a dark, fermented fragrance that no fresh citrus matches, but pull them out once the stew tastes bright, since sitting too long turns them bitter.
- Serve the stew in bowls with the roasted potatoes piled on top, over brown rice.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 260 calories, 13 g protein, 10 g fiber, 45 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
