Khoresh Gheymeh | Persian Yellow Split Pea Stew

Khoresh Gheymeh | Persian Yellow Split Pea Stew is a common traditional stew in Iranian cuisine.  It is served over a beautiful serving of Basmati rice.  The name for this meal in Farsi is Khoresh Gheymeh.  Gheymeh is most definitely on our favorite Persian foods list.  The spice profile of Gheymeh includes many delicious elements including the aromatic spices of turmeric, a touch of cinnamon, saffron, plus generous sour notes from sour Persian limes (limoo omani). 

One of the things that make this dish a fan favorite is French fries – yep, you heard that right.  French fried potatoes are sprinkled on top of khoresh ghemeh just before serving. 

Our grandmothers surely peeled, chopped, and cooked the fries from scratch.  In our modern rendition, we use easy store-bought shoestring potatoes, also known as potato sticks.   Growing up, my mom has been known to slip out to MacDonald’s for that special indulgent French fry topping.  Our visiting relatives and friends were extra amused by this westernized take.

Modern twist on Khoresh Gheymeh

Khoresh gheymeh is traditionally cooked with beef or lamb.  In our family, we choose to cut down on the consumption of red meat and have altered the recipe to be made with chicken.  Khoresh in Farsi means stew. 

Stews in Persian cuisine are not meant to be eaten like soup.  They are meant to be served on top of a heaping bed of basmati rice.  Gheymeh in Farsi means small chops of meat.  We keep the tradition alive by chopping the chicken in this recipe into small cubes.

This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by removing the meat from the recipe.  Split peas are nutritious and a good meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians.

Health benefits of split peas:

• high vegetable-based protein
• nutritious fiber
• good source of complex carbohydrates
• low fat and low caloric density

Of all the Persian stews, gheymeh is one of the tangiest or sour dishes. 

Sour Persian limes are cooked in with the stew (pierced before-hand so the lime juice seeps through).  Another technique often used in this stew is to crush or grind the dried limes into a powder for even more citrus zest. 

We love our gheymeh extra sour and choose to crush the dried lime to incorporate it with the tomato sauce leaving tangy bits and resulting in a delicious balance of flavors.   (see recipe notes for specific technique on doing this). 

If you are unable to get ahold of Persian dried limes, fresh lime juice may be substituted.  You can even add lemon juice to give it an extra sour punch.

A unique ingredient in Gheymeh is yellow split peas.  We’ve certainly heard and seen green split peas in Western cuisine.  Yellow split peas are less common.  To me, the taste of green split peas and yellow split peas are quite different.   Although they look similar, yellow split peas are also very different from lentils.

Yellow Split Peas

Cooking yellow split peas to the right softness for this khoresh (stew) is a bit of a science.  Having the yellow split peas cooked perfectly is something that seasoned Iranian chefs feel proud of.  It’s the same pride Iranians have for what they consider to be a perfectly cooked rice.  The peas, also known as gheymeh, should be cooked, slightly soft, not crunchy, and definitely not mushy.  I had intimidation for making this dish on my own for years.  Once I became a mum myself and witnessed how much our kiddos love it to I jumped in headfirst.

Split peas absorb water and cook quickly (they are split in half along the natural seam after they are harvested and hulled).  Split peas do not need to be pre-soaked.  When overcooked, they become mushy and less appetizing…still delicious, I’ve definitely done it more than once. 

Cooking yellow split peas is a delicate balance.  Converse to mushy peas, if you undercook them the result is less severe but a crunchy pea is not optimal and could cause some stomach discomfort.

Thankfully, there is a variety called ‘slow cook’ (‘dir paz’ in Farsi) that is hard to mess up!  Lapeh Dir Paz = Slow Cook Split Peas = they will not overcook and get mushy.

The best way to serve and eat Khoresh Ghemeh, Persian Yellow Split Pea Stew, is poured on a heaping bed of luscious basmati rice.  See How to Cook Persian Rice in a Rice Cooker.