persian-celery-stew-with-mushrooms-khoresh-e-karafs
[‘½ cup (120ml) olive oil’, ‘1 ½ lb (675g) cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced’, ‘1 bunch (8 stalks) celery, washed and julienned (¼ inch/6mm-by-2 inch/5cm lengths)’, ‘1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced’, ‘2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced’, ‘1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes’, ‘2 teaspoons sea salt’, ‘½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper’, ‘3 cups (710ml) water’, ‘½ teaspoon ground saffron threads dissolved in 2 tablespoons water (optional)’, ‘3 tablespoons fresh lime juice’, ‘1 cup (80g) chopped fresh parsley’, ‘½ cup (40g) chopped fresh mint, or 1 tablespoon dried mint’, ‘3 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves’, ‘Persian rice for serving (optional)’]
Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the celery, onion, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and give it a stir.
Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.
Add the saffron, lime juice, parsley, mint, and fenugreek, and give it a stir. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the celery is tender.
Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.
