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

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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.