Gheymeh Nesar – Persian dish from Qazvin

On Jun 28, 2023

Gheymeh Nesar is a traditional Persian dish that originated in Qazvin, Iran. It has a delightful blend of flavors passed down through the generation and is often served at special occasions and celebrations.

If you visit the Qazvin, it is more likely that the native people there will host you with their luxurious and special dish called Gheymeh Nesar.

This colorful stew is made of diced meat such as beef or lamb, pistachios and almonds, barberries, sliced orange peel, other ingredients, and steamed rice. After hearing about this flavorful and luxurious dish, you might be eager to know how you can prepare it.

You’re in luck! This article will provide a comprehensive recipe and tips to make your Gheyme Nesar even more delicious.

Stay with us to learn more.

Print Recipe

Gheymeh Nesar

Gheymeh Nesar is made of a combination of stew (gheymeh) and steamed rice. Let’s see how we can make Gheymeh Nesar:

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: iran

Ingredients

For the stew

500 grams Lamb or beef cut into small pieces
2 Onions finely chopped
2 tbsp Tomato paste
½ tsp Of turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon
½ tsp Of saffron dissolved in hot water
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups Water

For the garnish

½ cups Barberries (Zereshk)
1 tbsp Sugar
½ cups Slivered almonds
½ cups Slivered pistachios
½ cups Slivered orange peel
2 tbsp Butter
⅓ Rosewater

For the rice

4 cups Persian rice or Basmati
water
oil
salt (as much as you need)

Instructions

Start by chopping onions and then sautéing the chopped onions in a large pot until their color turns golden brown but don’t allow them to fry the onion too much.
Once the onion colors become golden, add turmeric and meat slices into the pot and cook until their color changes to light brown.
Add the tomato paste, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir well. Cook for a few minutes until the tomato paste is well incorporated. The tomato paste removes the natural odor from the meat and makes its color more pleasing.
Pour some water, saffron, and cardamom over the meat and put the lid on the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about an hour or until the meat becomes tender and the sauce water has been entirely drained.
Add a little salt to the Gheyme Nesar and take out the cardamom to prevent the stew get bitterness taste.
While the stew is simmering, prepare the rice.
Place the rice in a large bowl and cover it with cold water.
After rinsing, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and let it soak for at least 1 hour. This step is crucial for achieving the right texture.
Bring 8 cups of water and the remaining salt to a boil in a large pot. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Boil the rice on high heat, uncovered, for about 6-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the grains from sticking together.
Check the rise to see if they are ready or not. When the grains are soft around the edges but still firm in the middle, it is ready to drain the rice in a large, fine-mesh sieve.
Add the oil or butter and melt it over medium heat. Carefully spoon the parboiled rice into the pot, building a pyramid shape.
Make a few holes in the rice pyramid with the handle of a wooden spoon to allow steam to escape. Cover the pot with a lid and allow it to cook.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the barberries, sugar, slivered almonds, pistachios, and orange peel. Sauté until the nuts are lightly toasted, and the barberries are plump.
Once the stew is ready, add the dissolved saffron and stir well.

Golden tips to make Gheymeh Nesar

If you want to host your guests with Gheymeh Nesar, it is recommended to chop meat in large sizes.
When you want to add orange peel to the Gheyme Nesar, it is better to add a medium level since it makes the stew taste bitter.
It is better to rinse the orange zest in boiling water to remove its bitter taste before adding it to the stew.
You can soak sliced almonds in water or rose water to tender sliced almonds. But don’t rinse the pistachio in the water because it causes loss of its green color.
Affixing the rose water to the Gheimeh Nesar gives it a pleasing odor when you want to serve it. It can greatly improve the smell of meat in this recipe.
You can add the amount of sugar until the sour flavor is adjusted.
When you want to serve the dish, layer the ingredients properly. Typically, the rice is layered with the meat and split pea mixture and then topped with fried onions and barberries.
Ground the saffron and pour hot water to make the most out of the saffron color.
When you prepare the stew, allow them to cook slowly to meld the ingredient’s flavor together, which results in a tasty dish.
Pay attention to the quality of rice in Persian cuisine since most parts of Gheymeh Nesar are made of rice.
You can use less or more amount of nuts and barberries than I mentioned in the recipe. Their amount depends on your taste.

Conclusion:

Gheimeh Nesar goes beyond a simple meal; it represents traditional and cultural Persian cuisine. As with many Persian dishes, this food is time-consuming, requiring patience to achieve its optimal flavor.

Garnishing Gheyme Nesar with ingredients like barberries, nuts, and orange peel not only does it enhance the visual appeal of the dish but also imparts a unique taste to the stew. After reading this article, you can prepare Gheimeh Nesar to impress your guests or enjoy it yourself.

If you have any valuable tips for making Gheyme Nesar that enhance its flavor, please share them with us in the comments section.