Recipe: Iranian aloo ghaisi

Last month we asked people to submit their best recipes for the Trail Appliances favourite family recipe contest.

From over 300 entries we have narrowed it down to five finalists. Each of the finalists will make their dish with chef Wayne Sych of Joe Fortes.

Here, finalist Mehrnaz shows us how to make a her family’s aloo ghaisi, an Iranian stew made with fruit, vegetable and meat that balances sweet and sour flavours.

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup pitted dried sour plums (aloo)
• 1 cup dried apricot (ghaisi)
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 large onions
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon liquid saffron
• cooking oil
• lemon juice
• salt
• black pepper

1. Wash the prunes and dried apricot and soak in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Slice onions. Fry until slightly golden brown.
3. Fry chicken pieces in onions and turmeric and tomato paste until color changes. Add chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, salt and prunes and apricot to chicken and cook over medium heat for about an hour.
4. Add the liquid saffron and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes
5. .Before serving, taste and adjust for salt and pepper and lemon juice. Serve with your favourite fresh herbs strewn on top, alongside rice or bread.

Aloo ghaisi is an Iranian dish made with fruit, vegetable and meat. It also has a balanced sour and sweet flavours.

It is a simple healthy stew that doesn’t require complete culinary precision: You can add more or less water and season it to your liking. You can substitute meat for chicken. Vegetarians can substitute beans for the meat or chicken.

You can add some ginger and chili pepper flakes to complement the sweet and sour flavours.

You can make endless versions of it . My family has its own version and my mom makes the most delicious khoresht aloo ghaisi.

My parents make and deliver this food plus two other stews to more than 2,000 people in need several times a year. This tradition goes back to my great great grandparents.

Whenever I make it, It brings back great memories of those days and this is my main reason to love this healthy stew.