Tas kabab is usually an autumn/winter meal when beh (quince)  is in season and readily available in the market. This combination of meat and vegetables is tastiest when made with fresh quince. Since I like tas kabab and find it easy to make, nutritious and delicious, I make it meal frequently regardless of the season. Sometimes, I would use granny smith apples instead of quince. I think it’s a rather good substitute when quince is not seasonally available. You can make this dish without the use of quince or apples; it would still be very tasty. Some people like to add eggplants to this dish. This is also a one dish meal and there’s no need to serve rice with it. It is best served with some warm bread, yogurt and pickles (torshi). 

 

Ingredients:

Serves4-6

 

1 pound meat (beef or lamb), washed, cut in small pieces 

3 medium sized onions, peeled, sliced

3 medium sized carrots, washed, scraped and sliced ( I used baby carrots this time)

3 medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced

2 large quince, cored and sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup pitted dried prunes *optional

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1-2 cups of water

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon dried lemon powder (limoo omani/amani)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Dash of cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

 

Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to cover the bottom. Place a layer of sliced onions at the bottom; add a layer of meat, then a layer of tomatoes, carrots, and quince, in that order. 

As you add each layer, sprinkle them with a dash of salt. Add potatoes and prunes at the end. Add the remaining spices, pepper, lemon powder, turmeric and a dash of cinnamon on top of the mixture. 

Mix together the water and the tomato paste and pour over the meat and the other ingredients in the pot. 

Cover and cook slowly for an hour and a half on medium-low heat. There is no need to stir the food; this way the vegetables won’t turn into mush. 

Place gently on a serving platter.

Gently scoop out and place on a platter. Serve warm with bread, fresh herbs and yogurt.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Recipe and photo by: Azita