Khoresh-e fesenjan is one of the oldest dishes in the Persian repertoire — a slow-simmered stew of ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses that darkens over ninety minutes into something sweet, tart, and deeply savory. Chicken is traditional now; duck is older still. A final stir of bloomed saffron lifts the richness just before it meets a bed of chelow.
At a glance
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnut halves, toasted and finely ground
- 1 cup pomegranate molasses
- 4 chicken thighs (or 1 duck, jointed)
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp sugar (more to taste)
- 4 cups water
- 15 threads Raihan Afghan Super Negin saffron, bloomed
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Brown chicken in oil. Remove. Sauté onion until deep golden, 15 minutes.
- Add ground walnuts. Toast 5 minutes (until oil separates).
- Add water, pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar. Stir. Return chicken.
- Cover, simmer 90 minutes on low until walnut sauce is thick and dark brown.
- Stir in saffron bloom. Salt and pepper to taste. Adjust sugar (should be sweet-tart).
- Serve over chelow.
Chef's note
Fesenjan takes its color from long-cooked walnuts, so the saffron here works on aroma more than hue. Start the bloom in a few tablespoons of warm water once the stew goes on its long simmer — real threads release slowly, and by the time the sauce has darkened, the liquid will be a deep amber, ready to stir in at the end where none of its perfume is boiled away.
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