Khoresh Bij Bij – Caspian Sea Stew with Poached Eggs (Edit recipe)

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Bij Bij is not only a fun name for a dish, it is also a staple for Caspian Sea folks. People from Iran’s Mazandaran Province call this dish “Vavishka” (clearly a name that originated in Russia), but in Tehran, those who know of it call it Bij Bij. It is a comfort dish, made with ground meat, caramelized onions, and spices, all cooked in a rich tomato sauce, and with eggs poached right in the middle. An all-around simple and flavorful dish that can be prepared in about an hour, with very little effort.

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PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Onion, medium, (thinly sliced)
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, (minced)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 lb Ground Beef
4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, medium, (cut into 1 inch pieces, peeling is optional)
4 Tomato, medium (diced)
1.5 cups Water, (adjust as needed)
1.5 tsp Salt, (adjust as needed)
.5 tsp Black Pepper, (ground)
2 Tbsp Ghooreh (Persian Pickled Sour Grapes), Ab Ghooreh, aka juice from the grapes (or fresh lemon juice)
4-6 Eggs

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Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

In a large frying pan, saute the onions in oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and turmeric and continue to saute for 2 additional minutes.
Add the ground meat, breaking the chunks into smaller pieces and blending them into the sauted onions. Saute the meat and onion mixture for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. The meat should have turned light brown and no longer look raw.
Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and saute for another 2 minutes to bring out the flavor of the tomato paste.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes, water, salt, pepper and Ab Ghooreh or lemon juice and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Test to make sure the potatoes are sufficiently cooked and tender.
Using a spoon, pull the meat back to make room for the eggs to get cracked into the pan. Crack the eggs into the meat sauce one at a time.
Sprinkle a touch more salt and pepper on top of the eggs, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for about 5-6 minutes depending on how runny or cooked you prefer your eggs.
Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, turn off the heat and allow the stew to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Bij Bij can be served with Persian flatbreads or with steamed basmati rice and a side of yogurt and fresh herbs.

Notes

Ground beef can be replaced with ground lamb or turkey. I have also made this dish with crumbled up pieces of tempeh to make it vegetarian friendly. // A good quality canned tomatoes can be substituted if ripe tomatoes were not available.

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About This Recipe

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	445
Fat:	30 g
Carbohydrates:	16 g
Protein:	31 g
Cholesterol:	100 g
Sodium:	974 mg
Fiber:	2 g
Sugars:	3 g
Sugar Alcohol:	0 g
Calculated per serving.