Delicious Persian Celery Stew Recipe - Khoresht Karafs

Khoreshteh karafs is a bright and herbaceous Persian celery stew made with sautéed celery, fresh parsley, mint, and slow-cooked meat. The flavors come together to create a rich symphony of flavors and textures that are the signature of Persian cuisine.

To be honest, Khoreshteh Karafs was not my favorite growing up. With so many incredible delicious stews to choose from, one focused on celery just didn't initially excite me. That changed when my daughter was born and developed a love for it. I started making it more often, and over time, I've tweaked the recipe until it's become something I truly love. I hope you'll give my version a try and that your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

Ingredients for Persian Celery Stew-Khoresht Karafs

Meat Mixture

• Onion - Yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
• Meat - I prefer lamb for this recipe, because it just goes very well with the mint. However, any type of stew meat, including chunks of beef or chicken can be used. I remove any excess fat, and cut it into small bite sized chunks. And in general, the larger the meat chunks, the longer it takes to cook. I cut my meat in to 1 inch cubes. For vegetarian options, please see below.
• Tomato paste - Just a touch of tomato paste makes for a richer colored broth. If using tomato sauce instead of paste, add the tomato sauce at the same time as adding the broth.
• Turmeric Powder - Turmeric is a staple in Persian stews, as it adds both a vibrant hue and a warm flavor. It only needs to be sautéed for a few minutes for the scent to come out. It does burn easily, and burnt turmeric can make your entire stew bitter.
• Soy Sauce - Although soy sauce is not a traditional ingredient in Persian recipes, adding it to the meat while it is cooking adds a salt component which goes into the core of the meat, without altering the overall flavor of the stew.
• Broth - Cooking with broth is something I recommend for all Persian stews. I find it the equivalent of cooking the stew for an extra hour or two. It's my shortcut and I think it makes all the difference in giving you more depth of flavor.
• Oil - I cook with avocado oil, but olive oil or any cooking oil that you like is fine here.
• Salt and Pepper - salt should be added in phases while you are cooking. As the broth reduces, taste and adjust. I also add a little bit of ground black pepper. Keep in mind that this is not to make the stew spicy, but just to add some more dimension and warmth.

Celery and Herb Mixture

• Celery - the celery in khoresteh karafs needs some work to become the main star in this stew. Sautéing it in oil until it is golden brown with the spices and apple cider vinegar really does help with its transformation. I like to cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces, usually 1 to 1.5 inches each. I separate the stalks from the celery leaves, and sauté the celery leaves at the same time as the fresh herbs.
• Parsley - the parsley adds a fresh vibrant flavor and distinct green color.
• Mint - the mint adds a refreshing scent to this stew, as well as the distinct green color.
• Dried Mint - although we add fresh mint, the dried mint really drives the flavor home. A little goes a long way, and like turmeric, dried mint burns easily, so add it the the celery herb mixture only after you remove the pan from the heat.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - although not a traditional ingredient in khoresteh karafs, the apple cider vinegar helps break down some of the celery fibers while it is sautéing. It also adds a subtle sourness that is very characteristic of this stew.
• Sugar - also not a traditional ingredient in khoresteh karafs, but a bit of sugar adds a a very subtle sweet flavor. It also helps to cut through any slight bitter flavor of the celery stalks.

See recipe card for quantities.

Special Equipment for Khoresht Karafs

Heavy Bottomed Pot, or Large Dutch Oven - A heavy pot will retain heat for better cooking.

Sautee Pan or Large Skillet - Larger pans with more surface area make sautéing faster with better results.

Salad Spinner -  A salad spinner can be used to wash and remove any excess water from the herbs. It saves time by spinning the water out. Alternatively, lay out the herbs on kitchen towels to dry.

Food Processor - A food processor is my favorite time saving tool to use when I have a lot of herbs, like in this case. I add it to the processor in batches, and give it several pulses. It's an easy way to chop a lot of herbs in minutes.

How to Make Delicious Persian Celery Stew Recipe - Khoresht Karafs

(For further details, please see the recipe card below)

Step 1: Brown & Season - Sauté the onions until translucent, then add the lamb, or a protein of your choice. Add the spices and tomato paste.

Step 2: Simmer - Transfer the meat to a heavy pot, and add the broth. Allow to simmer on medium heat until nearly tender, or until your protein is 50-75% cooked.

Step 3: Prepare the Celery - Cut the celery stalks into 1 inch pieces (or 1.5 inches) and sauté in a pan until edges are golden brown. Add the seasonings and apple cider vinegar.

Step 4: Prepare the Herbs - Process or chop the fresh herbs, along with the celery leaves, and add to the pan with the celery. Keep sautéing until the herbs are dark, but not burnt. Remove your pan from the heat and add the dried mint.

Step 5: Combine - Add the celery herb mixture to the pot withe the lamb. Simmer on medium low heat and continuing cooking until everything is tender. During the last 15 minutes, adjusting the seasoning one last time. While the stew simmers, prepare your basmati rice. Enjoy!

My Tips for Making the Best Khoresteh Karafs

#1 Take your time sautéing the celery and herbs. This is the stage where many layers of flavor are created.

#2 Use bone broth or chicken broth (low sodium) instead of water. This is the special ingredient that will make your stew taste like it has been cooking for many hours.

#3 Season every component of the recipe as you go, so that when they are combined, everything comes together beautifully. Every layer of  this recipe (celery, herbs, and meat) all should have profound flavors of their own.

#4 Avoid having a bitter tasting stew by making sure that both the turmeric and the dried mint do not sautee for too long. Both these ingredients will taste bitter if they burn even slightly.

FAQ

Vegetarian Persian Celery Stew- Khorosteh Karafs

In many Persian stews, meat is just a side kick to the fresh herbs and vegetables that act as the main star. This makes it very easy to make Persian vegetarian stews. 

For khoresteh karafs, my favorite non-meat ingredients to use are tofu, or king mushrooms. I prepare them both similarly by cutting into cubes and sautéing with the translucent onions. The same seasonings that I use with meat are added, but I reduce the cooking time. Substituting the bone broth with vegetable broth will then make this stew completely vegetarian.

I have also seen this done with artichoke hearts, but since I have never tasted it, I cannot say if I recommend this or not.

Please explore my recipe for Salad Shirazi, and some of my other Persian recipes.

Did You Make the Recipe?

I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a comment and star rating below. You can also pin my recipe on Pinterest or share your creation on Instagram by tagging me @mulberryblvd. Thank you! Tannaz

Delicious Persian Celery Stew Recipe - Khoresht Karafs

Khoreshteh karafs is a bright and herbaceous Persian celery stew made with sautéed celery, fresh parsley, mint, and slow-cooked meat.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Persian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

For the Meat

• 1 onion large, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ lbs protein (lamb, beef or tofu) cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2-3 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 32 oz carton of broth (added gradually, may not use all)
• 4 tablespoon cooking oil more if needed

For the Celery and Herbs

• 1 large head of celery (or 2 small heads) cut into 1 ½ inch segments (reserve leaves)
• 2 large bunches of parsley (or 3 small)
• 1 large bunch of mint
• 1 tablespoon dried mint (heaping)
• 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
• extra cooking oil as needed

Instructions

 

Step 1: Sauté the Onion and Protein

• Heat a generous amount of oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced onion and sauté until translucent.
• Add your protein (lamb) and sauté until golden brown.
• Stir in the soy sauce and continue sautéing until the lamb chunks absorb all the juices.
• Add the salt, pepper, tomato paste  and turmeric (in that order) and stir for about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Simmer the Protein in Broth

• Transfer the protein into a heavy bottomed pot and pour the broth in enough to cover the meat by about 2 inches.
• Cover and bring to a simmer.
• Cook until the protein is 50-75% cooked (approximately 30 minutes for cubed lamb). The level of the broth should now be about ½ an inch above the meat.

Step 3: Prepare the Celery

• While the lamb is cooking, wash and cut the celery into 1 or 1.5-inch segments.
• Reserve the celery leaves to be used with the parsley and mint.
• In a large skillet, heat oil and add the celery. Sauté until softened, about 15 minutes or more, stirring frequently.
• Add salt, pepper, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir and cook until the vinegar has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Step 4: Sauté the Herbs and Celery Leaves

• Chop the parsley, mint, and reserved celery leaves finely (a food processor can be used).
• Add the herbs to the pan with the celery, adding extra oil if the pan is completely dry.
• Sauté and continuously stir over medium heat until the herbs darken, but do not burn.
• Stir in the dried mint and remove from heat.

Step 5: Combine and Finish the Stew

• When the lamb is 75% cooked, add the celery herb mixture to the pot. You may need to add more broth at this point. It should be about 1 inch over the solid mixture.
• Cover the pot wit the lid and cook on low-medium heat until the meat is fully cooked and the celery is tender but not mushy.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If the flavor is flat, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Serve with fresh basmati rice and enjoy.

Keyword Celery, dried mint, Parsley, Stew