Saed News: Alu Esfenaj Stew is one of the delicious and elegant Persian stews that you can prepare with meat or chicken according to your preference. For a complete, step-by-step cooking tutorial on how to make Alu Esfenaj Stew, stay with us.
According to Saed News Family Magazine, this stew is an authentic Persian dish made with spinach and prunes. It can be prepared with a sour or mildly sweet taste. In this recipe, lamb is used, but it can also be made with chicken.
This stew is best served with fresh lemon, herbs, and either steamed white rice or kateh (Persian-style rice). The combination of spinach and the tangy flavor from prunes and pomegranate paste enhances iron absorption, making this dish highly nutritious. It is especially recommended for growing children and teenagers.
500g spinach
1 piece of chicken (or as per serving count)
1 onion
1 tbsp pomegranate paste or plum paste
10 dried prunes (Aloo Bukhara)
Turmeric, black pepper, and salt (as needed)
First, fry both sides of the chicken until golden.
Peel and finely chop the onion. In the same pan, heat some oil and sauté the onion until soft.
Add the spices and stir well. If using meat instead of chicken, note that you can cook all these steps in a pressure cooker to reduce the cooking time to one hour.
Wash and finely chop the spinach. Sauté it in a dry pan over low heat until its water evaporates completely.
Once dry, add a little salt and continue frying over low heat until it darkens. (Note: The longer the spinach is fried, the tastier it becomes, but its nutrients will decrease.)
Add the fried spinach to the stew and, if necessary, add a little more boiling water.
Let the stew simmer until it thickens and reaches the desired consistency.
Enjoy your delicious Aloo Esfenaj Stew! 🍛
