Gamaj Kebab Luxury Food of Northern Iran

The food is named after a local clay cauldron known as Gamaj in the local vernacular.

Gamaj kebab is usually cooked with red meat, but white meat such as chicken and turkey can also be used. Interesting enough, when this food is made with chicken, it is known as the Tala-Kooleh-Ghoorabe stew in the local language. This stew is not only very delicious, but also very useful for the body thanks to the nutritious herbs used in it.

Ingredients:

Walnut kernel: 300gr

Onions: An average-sized onion

Pomegranate paste: 2 spoonfuls

Pomegranate juice: 2 spoonfuls

Stew herbs: 400gr (the local Choochaq herb, or chives, parsley and coriander instead)

Liquid oil: As much as necessary

Meat: 600gr

Tomato paste: 2 spoonfuls

Salt, black pepper and turmeric: As much as necessary

Recipe:

First, shred the onion and sauté it until it gets soft and transparent.

After the onion gets soft, add some turmeric and keep sautéing the mixture until you get a consistent mix of onion and turmeric. Then chop the meat and add it to the ingredients. After you sauté the meat, add tomato paste along with pomegranate paste and pomegranate juice. Then sauté them all together until the tomato paste and pomegranate paste get fried a little. Then chop the herbs and add them to the ingredients together with ground walnut. Sauté all the ingredients for a few more minutes until you get a consistent mixture. Then add a few glasses of boiling water and allow the stew to be cooked through on low heat. If you use the Gamaj cauldron, the food will become tastier.

In the last 30 minutes when the food is being cooked, taste it, and add some salt and black pepper if needed. This stew is served with little stock (water), so do not serve it until it loses quite some water and only oil is left behind. Finally, you may serve the stew with rice.