Persian Saffron & Honey Lamb
- 20m Prep Time
- 1h Cook Time
- 2h Ready In
A rich but light Persian lamb stew with saffron, cinnamon, honey, and apricots, served with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb leg cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
- 29.6 ml olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 400 g tinned chickpeas washed and drained
- 1 small pinch of saffron
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 14.8 ml honey
- 100 g dried apricots
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 lemon juice of
- 1 parsley leaves chopped
- steamed rice
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 8 of 13 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 66.2 mg
- Iron: 4.94 mg
- Magnesium: 59.2 mg
- Phosphorus: 277 mg
- Potassium: 962 mg
- Zinc: 4.66 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 29.6 ml olive oil
- 1 small pinch of saffron
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 14.8 ml honey
- 100 g dried apricots
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- steamed rice
Prepare
- 500 g lamb leg, cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 400 g tinned chickpeas, washed and drained
- 0.5 lemon, juice of
- Chop 1 parsley leaves
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Season the lamb cubes with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish (Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the lamb in batches (do not overcrowd) and cook, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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Step 2.
Add the finely chopped onion to the same pan and stir-fry over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Return the browned lamb to the pan, then add the drained chickpeas, saffron strands, cinnamon stick, and 600ml (scant 2½ cups) freshly boiled water—enough to just cover everything. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the meat is tender and cooked through.
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Step 3.
After 1 hour, add the honey and dried apricots to the stew. Increase the heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened.
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Step 4.
Remove the stew from the heat, cover, and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. Just before serving, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the stew, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with steamed rice.