Khoresh Gheymeh

Cut Lamb into bitesize chunks. If there is a lot of fat, trim some of it off but leave a little — it is what gives the stew its body. Heat 3 tbsp Neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add Brown onions and cook, stirring, until soft and pale gold, about 8 min. Turn the heat up, add the lamb and brown it on all sides, about 5 min.

⚠ Tip: Take the time on the onions — their sweetness is half the sauce later.

Stir in Ground turmeric, Ground black pepper and Salt. Cook for 1 min so the spices bloom and coat the meat — it should smell warm, not raw. Pour in 700 ml Water, bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender enough to cut with a spoon, about 1 h.

⚠ Tip: If the water drops below the meat, top it up — you want a good pool of sauce at the end.

Rinse Yellow split peas and boil in plenty of fresh water until tender but still holding their shape, 20 min. Drain and set aside.

⚠ Tip: Cook them separately — if they go into the lamb raw they will collapse into the sauce and the stew loses its texture.

Push the lamb to one side, add Tomato purée to the pot and fry it against the bottom for 2 min, stirring, until it darkens from bright red to a deep brick colour and smells sweet rather than sharp. Pierce each Dried limes once or twice with the tip of a knife so the sourness can get out into the sauce.

⚠ Tip: Frying the purée in the fat is what stops the stew tasting raw and tinny.

⚠ Tip: Whole un-pierced limes give almost no flavour; too many holes and the stew turns bitter.

Stir the tomato through the lamb, then tuck in the pierced dried limes and the drained split peas. Add a splash more water if it looks tight, bring back to a gentle bubble and simmer uncovered for 20 min, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.

⚠ Tip: Taste after ten minutes: if it is flat, add a little more salt; if it is too sour, fish out one of the limes.

Cut Floury potatoes into thin batons about the size of a matchstick. Heat 400 ml Neutral oil to 180 °C in a wide pan and fry the batons in batches until deep gold and crisp, 3 min a batch. Drain on kitchen paper and salt them straight away.

⚠ Tip: Fry them in plenty of oil and do not crowd the pan, or they steam instead of crisping.

Spoon the stew into a wide serving dish. Pile the fried potato batons across the top — do not stir them in, they should stay crisp against the sauce — and serve with steamed basmati rice.