Khoresht de Khrishtof

This recipe works well as a sauce either for pasta or rice. It is orginally based on bolognese sauce, but it gradually evolved. The name of “Khoresht de Khrishtof” originated while I was working in Mashhad, Iran and I didn't have any other short way of calling the dish.

Ingredients:

• 25g butter

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• carrots, finely sliced

• celery, finely sliced

• courgettes, capsicum and other seasonal vegetables, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 350 g lean minced beef (or soy protein – for vegetarian version)

• salt and freshly grated pepper

• 1 – 1½ cup of vegetable stock

• ½ cup of milk (goat milk, soy milk, etc.)

• 400g can plum tomatoes, chopped w/their juice

• 1 bay leaf

• italian herbs, basil, chilli powder, paprika, turmeric, .... (according to mood!)

1Heat butter and oil in a heavy sauce pan or earthenware pot. Add the onion, and cook over moderate heat for 3-4 minutes. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in carrots, garlic and other vegetable. Cook 3-4 minutes more.

2Add the beef and crumble it into the vegetables with a fork. Stir until the meat looses it red colour. Season with salt and pepper.

3Pour in vegetable stock, raise the heat slightly and cook until the liquid evaporates, 3-4 minutes. Add the milk and cook until it evaporates.

4Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the herbs and spices. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occassionally. Correct the seasoning before serving.

11 Oct 2003