LinsFood | by Azlin Bloor

In-Depth Recipes, Food Culture & Food Stories

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Categories
      • Amuse-Bouches, Canapés and Starters
      • Cookies
      • Desserts
      • Dips, Sauces and Gravy Recipes
      • Eggless Recipes (Desserts & Baking)
      • Birthday and Occasion Cakes and Cupcakes
      • Cheese (Types and Recipes)
      • Gluten Free
      • Healthy Recipes
      • Meat Recipes
      • Noodle Recipes from around the World
      • Rice Recipes from around the World
      • Salad Recipes
      • Soups and Stews from around the World
      • Seafood
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Winter Recipes
      • Spring Recipes
      • Summer Recipes
      • What's in Season Now?
      • Autumn (Fall) Recipes
    • Festive Recipes
      • Nowruz Recipes (Persian New Year)
      • Easter Recipes
      • Ramadan Recipes from around the World
      • Eid Recipes from around the World
      • Thanksgiving Recipes
      • Christmas Recipes from around the World
      • Chinese New Year Recipes
      • Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Collections
      • Alcoholic Drinks
      • Alcohol Free Drinks
      • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
      • Cake Decorating 101
      • Fine Dining
      • Gin Recipes
      • Pantry Recipes
      • The Chilli Pepper Page
      • Top 12 Chicken Recipes
  • World Cuisines
    • American
    • British Recipes
    • Burmese Recipes
    • Chinese Recipes
    • East and West African Recipes
    • Eastern and Central European Recipes
    • French Recipes
    • South Asian Recipes (India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka)
      • Kashmiri Recipes
    • Indonesian Recipes
    • Italian Recipes
      • Risotto Masterclass
    • Japanese Recipes
    • Korean Recipes
    • Latin American Recipes
    • Middle Eastern and North African Recipes
      • Persian Recipes
      • Tagine Recipes
    • What is Singapore and Malaysian Food?
    • Spanish Recipes
    • Thai Recipes
    • Turkish Recipes
    • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Reference
    • Ingredients

      Ingredients
    • The Edible Garden

      The Edible Garden
    • What’s In Season?

      What's In Season?
    • Oven/Cooking Conversions

      Oven/Cooking Conversions
  • Travel and Family Fun
  • Media
  • About
    • About Me

      About Me
    • Online Cooking Courses

      How to cook noodles
    • My Cookbooks

      Singapore Recipes

Khoresh Rivas (Persian Rhubarb Stew with Meat, خورش ریواس)

Published 02/05/2018, updated 07/03/2020 15 Comments

How to make Khoresh Rivas (خورش ریواس), a delicious Persian Rhubarb Stew. Soft and succulent rhubarb with meltingly tender meat, sitting in a sweet, sour and herby sauce.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Khoresh Rivas, Persian Rhubarb Stew
Khoresh Rivas, Persian Rhubarb Stew
Khoresh Rivas

Khoresh Rivas (خورش ریواس) is a delicious Persian Rhubarb Stew. Soft and succulent rhubarb with meltingly tender meat, sitting in a sweet, sour and herby sauce, this is a stew that screams spring, with in-season rhubarb, lamb and lots of parsley and mint.

The word khoresh is a general term that refers to stews of all kinds in Persian cuisine. It comes from the Farsi (Persian language) word khordan which means to eat.

Khoresh Rivas is usually eaten with rice (polo/polow). However, a little bit of bread to soak up that tangy, mouthwatering sauce, is never a bad idea.

This reader requested recipe, Persian Rhubarb Stew, was the inspiration for Lamb Shank and Rhubarb Tagine, a very popular recipe in our Tagine Masterclass.

Lamb Shank and Rhubarb Tagine
Lamb Shank and Rhubarb Tagine

Just like the Lamb Shank and Rhubarb Tagine above, our Khoresh Rivas is very simply flavoured, relying on a few choice ingredients to come together to make a bold statement. The main players here are the rhubarb, the meat and the 2 herbs. Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients used and how you can play around with them.

How to Make Khoresh Rivas

Rhubarb

There’s no getting away from it, it’s a rhubarb stew, so ya gotta have rhubarb! If you haven’t got rhubarb, you’ll have to make another sour Persian stew, like Khoresh Bademjan, below, which is an Eggplant and Meat Stew:

Khoresh Bademjan Persian Eggplant Stew
Khoresh Bademjan Persian Eggplant Stew

Here in the UK, rhubarb starts appearing on our shelves in January, with forced rhubarb that’s been grown indoors and well, forced. These rhubarb are just as delicious as their outdoor counterparts, but tend to be less red and are a little more sour. By around late April though, we start getting the pinker and slightly more sweet summer rhubarb.

Many Persian stews have a tangy nature, relying on various souring agents to achieve that tart quality, like sour grape juice (verjus) and dried limes. In our rhubarb stew, naturally, it is the rhubarb that does that, but we add sugar to the stew to give it some balance. How much sugar you add will be a matter of preference, and you taste the stew right at the end and adjust accordingly. The sweet should be a bit player.

Traditionally, and certainly, the first few times I tasted this recipe, the khoresh rhubarb was made with double the weight of rhubarb to the meat. I found it a little too sour and sweet for my taste, so over the years, have reduced the amount of rhubarb to be equal or almost equal in weight to that of the meat. Experiment and live a little, when you make it.

Khoresh Rivas (Persian Rhubarb Stew) with Rice

Meat

Lamb is the traditional meat used in this, as it’s synonymous with spring. But I just as often use beef, and have also used chicken in it. I tend to buy ready cubed meat for this stew, and, sometimes, like in Khoresh Bademjan, also use meatballs. Use meat with a little fat on it, and your stew will thank you for it, as it will be richer.

Vegan Khoresh Rivas

You can enjoy a vegan Persian Rhubarb Stew by omitting the meat altogether, and using chickpeas, the obvious choice, or any other pulses like fava beans, kidney beans and lentils. Courgettes (zucchinis) and eggplants are great in this too. And some vegetable stock for depth.

Water or Stock

My family finds this stew a little light on flavour when I make it with just water. When one is used to robust Western stews and Asian curries, Middle Eastern stews and tagines can be a little wanting in depth. It’s all a matter of taste and perception. However, these days, more often than not, I use chicken stock, whatever meat I’m using, as I find lamb stock too overpowering. Even my Persian friends prefer the version with stock.

You can use vegetable, chicken or meat stock, whatever you prefer. If you make your own stock, great, if not, use a good shop bought stockpot or cube, no artificial anything. We tend to have frozen homemade stock at home, but there are always some stockpots handy for when we run out, and because they are also very convenient. These are the ones I use.

One stockpot or stock cube is usually for 500ml (2 cups) of water. However, the stock is only supporting the other flavours, so I suggest half strength. So, for the amount of liquid here, 1 stock cube or pot is perfect.

Frying the Herbs and Rhubarb

Traditionally, the herbs are sautéed in a little oil before being added to the stew. I skip this part, and just do it with the rhubarb, which adds a little hint of caramelisation. If you do want to fry the herbs, just heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat, fry the herbs for 2-3 minutes until they’ve softened and wilted, then tip into the stew 30 minutes before the end.

That’s it, let’s get our aprons on!

More Persian Recipes on LinsFood

If you fancy anymore Persian recipes, head on over to the Middle Eastern and North African page, for favourites like:

  • Persian rice with chicken and row of barberries on the side
    Zereshk Polo Morgh, Persian Barberry Rice with Chicken
  • dark photo of persian rice
    Reshteh Polo, Persian Rice and Noodles
  • Persian Saffron Rice Pudding decorated with dried rose buds and rose petals
    Persian Saffron Rice Pudding

♥ Do you like this recipe? Please give it a 5-star rating below! And when you make it, share it on any social medium and tag me @azlinbloor ♥ Merci! Lin xx

Khoresh Rivas, Persian Rhubarb Stew

Khoresh Rivas (Persian Rhubarb Stew with Meat)

How to make Khoresh Rivas (خورش ریواس), a delicious Persian Rhubarb Stew. Soft and succulent rhubarb with meltingly tender meat, sitting in a sweet, sour and herby sauce.
4.94 from 47 votes
Print Pin Add to Collection Go to Collections
Course: Main Course with Rice
Cuisine: Persian
Keyword: khoresh, nowruz, persian, stew
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 (4-6)
Calories: 211kcal
Author: Azlin Bloor

Ingredients

  • 400 g (14 oz) fresh rhubarb
  • 500 g (1.1 lb) lamb or beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large handful parsley
  • 1 small handful mint
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • 500 ml (2 cups) water or half strength chicken stock
  • 3 Tbsp EV olive oil

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Chop up the rhubarb into 2.5cm (1″) long stalks.
  • Dice the meat into bite size pieces if not done so already.
  • Chop the onions, not too finely.
  • Chop up the parsley and mint, these don’t have to be done finely, as they’ll be cooked down.

Let’s Cook

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Fry the onions for 3 minutes until they soften.
  • Add the turmeric, stir, then add the meat. Increase the heat to high and stir to mix.
  • Add 1 Tbsp of the sugar, stir, then fry the meat for 2 minutes on this high heat.
  • Add the water or stock, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat down to its lowest setting, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the meat is done, but not falling apart, as we still have another 30 minutes or so of cooking time. Depending on your meat cut, this may be at the 90 minute mark, as some cuts will take longer to cook. It does also depend on how large your meat pieces are.
  • At the end of 1 hour, tip in the chopped parsley and mint and cover once again and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • At the end of the 15 minutes, heat the 3rd Tbsp of oil in large frying pan on high heat and sauté the rhubarb for 1 minute, shaking the pan and flipping the rhubarb.
  • Then, tip this rhubarb into the stew, cover, and leave to cook for 10 minutes, still on low heat. You can cook it until the rhubarb has all broken down, or stop before that stage. What I do, is fish out about 6-8 pieces, and leave the rest to fall apart in the stew, adding to the texture. Then I add the pieces back and serve.
  • Taste the stew before turning the heat off. Add the second Tbsp of sugar if you would like it less sour, even more if you prefer it the tartness tampered down. That’s it, serve with rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

This Recipe’s Carbon Emission

Did you make this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!
Made it? Upload your photosMention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!

Comments

  1. Kenta says

    16/03/2019 at 11:20 pm

    I don’t think I’ve ever tasted rhubarb, but given that it’s tart/sour, I can see it going very well with fattier cuts of lamb like spareribs.
    400 grams certainly makes rhubarb the main character!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      16/03/2020 at 10:40 am

      It sure does, thanks Kenta.

      Reply
  2. Irina says

    26/05/2018 at 11:58 am

    I made this recipe but used chickpeas instead of meat. I must confess I was a bit sceptical about stewed rhubarb but it turned out great. Can’t wait to try this with eggplant or zucchini. Thank you for the great recipe.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      26/05/2018 at 4:08 pm

      Hi Irina, I know, right? We all tend to associate rhubarb with sweet recipes. I’m glad you enjoyed it. And if you are on social media, post a pic and tag me @azlinbloor. I’m on most of the big platforms. Thank you for taking the time to drop a comment! x

      Reply
  3. Benjamin G says

    08/05/2018 at 11:33 am

    Your recipes look very tasty – I shall be trying a few out!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      16/03/2020 at 10:40 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. MELANIE EDJOURIAN says

    04/05/2018 at 7:35 pm

    OMG this all looks delicious. I want to try the aubergine (eggplant) stew as that sounds really yummy. I love this sort of dish with aubergines.

    Reply
  5. Karlyn Cruz says

    03/05/2018 at 9:16 pm

    Oh my goodness! My mouth just watered. That lamb looks devine! Wow! I love Persian food. I could eat it every day! I don’t know that I’d ever match this recipe but I feel like I need to try!

    Reply
  6. Alison Rost says

    03/05/2018 at 3:29 am

    I wouldn’t mind making a stew like this. Whether you have it with rice or bread, I’m pretty sure it’s going to taste amazing!

    Reply
  7. Maureen says

    03/05/2018 at 2:19 am

    This looks like a really delicious meal to enjoy. I will have to give this Khoresh Rivas Persian Rhubarb Stew a try.

    Reply
  8. Komal says

    02/05/2018 at 10:31 pm

    Wow does this look and sound delicious. I am a huge fan of Persian food

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      03/05/2018 at 8:30 pm

      Thank you Komal! It is one of the world’s oldest and greatest cuisines! I have lots more Persian recipes on this site, as you can see!

      Reply
  9. Iya - Louisa says

    02/05/2018 at 10:25 pm

    I’ve always thought of rubarb as a sweet rather than savoury so I’d love to try this. I love that you’ve included alternatives so I can have it as I’m veggie.

    Reply
  10. Elena Toma says

    02/05/2018 at 6:03 pm

    Wow everything looks so insanely delicious! I am crazy about eggplant and I will definitely try to make that dish. Persian cuisine is so amazing !

    Reply
  11. Elaine says

    02/05/2018 at 5:39 pm

    Running out to buy a tagine right now! This dish looks SO delicious. I wish I could have a bowl right this minute. Tagging… so I can cook this later…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hey folks, I’m Azlin Bloor; former chef, culinary instructor and mum of 4.
Click here to read more about me!

Language

ArabicMalayFrenchSpanishHindiChinese (Simplified)ItalianRussianEnglishGerman

My Latest Posts!

  • Beef Birria Consommé in a light blue bowlBeef Birria Recipe (Mexican Beef Stew)
  • Raspberry and Chocolate MargaritaRaspberry and Chocolate Margarita (a Valentine’s Day Cocktail)
  • dusting sugar on Eggless Baileys Chocolate CheesecakeEggless Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake (perfect for Easter)
  • Gushtaba recipe, Kashmiri Meatballs in yoghurtGushtaba (Kashmiri Meatballs in Yoghurt Gravy)
my foodgawker gallery
Tasty Query - recipes search engine
Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100

Cook with me on Udemy!

Cook With Me

LinsFood contains affiliate links. This means that we earn a commission off any purchases that you might make by clicking on some of the product links.

Contact Me     Privacy Policy     Cookie Policy
Copyright Azlin Bloor | LinsFood.com 2011-2021