One of the delicious side dishes you must taste in Isfahan is “Khoresh Mast”. Even originally the name of this dessert is Khoresh which means stew but it is not really a stew, it is a sweet dessert. This dessert is made from ingredients like almond, sour yogurt, sugar, egg yolk, rose water, saffron and lamb neck meat. Even if there is meat inside the desert, you cannot find any taste of meat inside it.
Remember you cannot find this desert in any place of the country but just in Isfahan itself. Khoresh Mast is similar to a soft sticky saffron ice cream. It is served cold and it is a very expensive dessert. In the safavid era, just the king's family and wealthy people could afford to eat this kind of desert.
Ingredients for Khoresh Mast recipe
1- A very thick and sticky yogurt without salt ………………………………. 2 and half cups
2- Meet of lamb neck………………………………………………………….. 250 gr
3- Rose water …………………………………………………………………. 1 spoon
4- Sugar………………………………………………………………………… 2 and half cups
5- Saffron………………………………………………………………………… Adequately
6- Walnut………………………………………………………………………… 1 spoon
7- Almond………………………………………………………………………... 1 spoon
8- Salt, pepper and turmeric…………………………………………………… Adequately
9- Pistachio, almond and barberry …………………………………………… Adequately
10- Small onion………………………………………………………………….. 1 piece
How to prepare Khoresh Mast
1- Boil chopped onion, meat and turmeric in a big pan until it is baked and remove the bones. mash until its color changes to white.
2- Bake yogurt and sugar until boiling.
3- Add the meat to the mixture of yogurt and sugar.
4- After boiling and mixing ingredients add walnut, almond, saffron, rose water, salt and pepper, and egg yolk.
5- After boiling enough, pour the mixture into your proper dish and decorate it with almond, pistachio and barberry.
6- Let the dish rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
7- Serve the dish cold like ice-cream.
Tips to prepare a yummy Khoresh Mast
Important notes to prepare a good and edible yummy Khoresh Mast:
1- Mash the meat adequately, the more the result would be proper.
2- You can fry two or three spoons of fried barberry which makes Khoresh must tastier.
3- You can add cardamom and cinnamon to the mixture.
4- During boiling you can add egg yolk, this makes the paste thicker and stickier.
5- Use full fat yogurt, avoid using low fat yogurt, it makes the mixture looser.
6- Use low fat meat, remove fat from meat because you are using walnuts and full fat yogurt.
7- Remove fats and grease from boiling meat water.
8- Gently stir and mix yogurt before boiling yogurt.
9- Instead of using sugar you can use sugar powder.
Next time you visit Isfahan, never forget to taste Khoresh Mast. We are looking forward to visit you in Isfahan restaurant to taste Khoresh Mast , ( sana Persian tour and travel service provider)
