Khoresh-e Kadoo - Gray Squash Lamb Stew

In the Persian cuisine there are a number of tasty, slow cooked stews (khoresh/khoresht) that combine the seasonal vegetables with either meat or chicken. Iranian food is not heavily spiced and in order to achieve the optimal taste, some patience, time and planning is required. I usually buy the needed ingredients a day in advance and take care of some of the things that could be done ahead of time without jeopardizing the freshness of the food. There are those that have their onions thinly sliced (an essential part of Iranian cooking), fried, packed, sealed and frozen for when it's needed. Same goes with fried eggplants and herbs. And there are those that even have a  herb and bean stew (ghormeh sabzi) ready to be served in their freezer for that guest that might drop by unexpectedly! We grew up where going to a family member or friend's house didn't require an invitation or a prior notice, even a phone call wasn't necessary.

Gray Squash

This dish خورش کدو khoresh-e Kadoo is usually made with the summer squash called zucchini/courgette, the long and green zucchini which tastes wonderful. Yet, since I've discovered the gray squash in my local Italian vegetable store, which is a town over, I've made the switch at least for now. I find this kind of squash to be more firm and tastier and they are the perfect size also, just cut them in half, lengthwise. This dish can also be made without meat.

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Khoresh Kadoo Sabz- Gray Squash Lamb Stew

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds meat (lamb or beef), wash, cut in cubes
7 gray squash or zucchini, wash, peel, cut in half, you may leave the skin on
2 large tomatoes, remove skin and finely chop/or use a can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large onion, peeled, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled, finely chopped
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
3-4 crushed or whole dried lemons (limoo amani) or juice of 1-2 lemons depending on your taste

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon  
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil


Method:

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan, fry the squash slices over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan, saute sliced onions over medium heat until translucent, add the turmeric powder and garlic, stir and saute for another 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the meat, brown on all sides, add cinnamon, salt and pepper. 
4. Add the tomato paste, cook for five minutes, add the crushed tomatoes. 
5. Add water to cover the ingredients by a couple of inches and add limoo amani. Bring to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium low, cover and cook for an hour or until meat is tender. 
6. Add water if needed. If you are using lemon juice, add it after the meat becomes tender.
7. In an oven-proof dish, place half of the meat sauce and add a layer of the fried squash, repeat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, cover with a foil and cook for 40 minutes in the 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven.  

Serve warm with some white basmati rice, yogurt, salad and herbs.

Enjoy!