Khoresh Kadoo Halvaii Butternut Squash Stew Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan or kettle, or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop slightly while you grind the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle (or small bowl and the handle of a wooden spoon), grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar to a fine powder (scant 1/4 teaspoon), add the hot water, gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use.
• Place the butternut squash in a mound in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Toss to combine. Scatter the squash across the baking sheet in an even layer, and roast for 10 minutes. Flip the squash and roast until golden and almost tender, about 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium-high, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle the onion with a little salt, add the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas, season well with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. With the back of a wooden spoon, crush a few chickpeas to release their starches. Taste the chickpeas and make sure they're seasoned to your liking.
• Push the chickpeas to the sides and make a little space in the middle of the pot; if the pot is dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the tomato paste to the oil to cook off its raw taste, stirring continuously and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute. Mix the tomato paste with the chickpeas, add 2 cups water and bring to a gentle boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the prunes and half of the saffron water. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the roasted squash, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar and the remaining saffron water. Gently stir to combine, cover and simmer over low heat until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. The stew should be saucy but not soupy: add more water if the stew is too thick, or simmer uncovered if it's too loose. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice or a little more sugar if needed to balance all the flavors. Serve over rice with herbs, scallions and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Steps:

• Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan, kettle or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop slightly while you grind the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle (or small bowl with the handle of a wooden spoon), grind the saffron with a small pinch of sugar to a fine powder (about 1/4 teaspoon) and add the hot water. Gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use.
• Season the chicken legs generously with salt (about 3 1/2 teaspoons). In a large skillet with a lid, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken legs, skin side down. Cook until the chicken is golden, 5 to 8 minutes; we're not looking to brown the chicken skin here, just to get a nice golden color. Flip and cook the other side until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. You may have to do this in batches. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan or large plate.
• Leave behind about 1/4 cup of the rendered fat in the pan and discard the rest. Add half of the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the onion with a little salt, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and the black pepper, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the chicken legs along with any juices back to the pan skin side down. Swipe the chicken through the turmeric-stained oil and flip so the skin side is up. Add 1 1/2 cups water, scraping up any bits stuck on the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and gently simmer the chicken for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pomegranate sauce: In a small pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium. Add the remaining diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the onion with a little salt, add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the tomato paste, and cook just to take off the raw taste and deepen its color, but taking care not to burn it, about 1 minute. Add the pomegranate molasses, give it a quick stir just to incorporate (pomegranate molasses burns quickly), then stir in 1 1/4 cups pomegranate seeds and save the rest for garnish. Sprinkle with a little salt, and remove from the heat.
• Add the pomegranate sauce and the saffron water to the chicken, gently stir, and simmer uncovered over medium heat until the sauce reduces by about half and the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Every once in a while, spoon a little sauce over the chicken. If the sauce reduces too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low or low. (You want enough sauce to spoon over rice and the chicken.) Taste for seasoning, and add a little sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the pomegranate molasses is too sour or bitter. If your sauce is too sweet, balance it with a little lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Garnish with reserved pomegranate seeds and mint leaves, and serve over rice with a side of fresh herbs, radishes and scallions.