SPINACH & PLUM (PRUNE) PERSIAN STEW

SPINACH & PLUM (PRUNE) PERSIAN STEW image

Yield 4-6 people

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 pound stewing meat, cubed into 1" - 1 1/2" pieces (lamb or veal. Beef may also be used but Iranians in general do not cook with beef.)
2 pounds fresh spinach (washed, stemmed, coarsely chopped)
8 ounces prunes (or 2 cups - rule of thumb: 4-5 prunes per person served)
1 large onion (finely sliced)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (more or less according to tartness preference)
couple pinches turmeric
tiny pinches saffron (optional)
pinches cinnamon (optional)

Steps:

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a roomy nonstick pot over medium high heat till sizzling hot. Add chopped onions. Saute till golden (approximately 10 minutes) while stirring occasionally. Add meat. Add turmeric, salt and pepper. Sautee for 5-6 minutes till the meat is no longer pink/red. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to medium low and simmer cook till meat is cooked. (Approximately 45 minutes for veal or lamb, up to an hour for beef.) While meat is cooking, saute chopped spinach in 3-4 tablespoons of sizzling hot oil in a nonstick skillet, stirring frequently, until the spinach's liquid is expelled and it reduces in bulk (approximately 5-6 minutes.) Season with salt and a pinch of turmeric. Set aside. Rinse and dry prunes. Saute prunes in a tablespoon of sizzling hot olive oil for no longer than a minute in a nonstick skillet. Set aside. Once meat is almost done, remove lid, turn up the heat till the stew is boiling. Add spinach, prunes and fresh lemon juice. Sprinkle with saffron and cinnamon. Stir once with a wooden spoon to mix. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover lid and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Once done, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice to taste. Transfer stew to a deep serving bowl. Serve hot.