This Saffron Gheyme Nesar Mince Recipe makes Qazvin-style jeweled rice with tender lamb, saffron, barberries, orange peel, almonds and pistachios. The meat is served through or over the steamed rice, then the colourful garnishes are added just before serving.

Qazvin gheymeh nesar saffron rice with lamb barberries almonds and pistachios

The dish is also spelled gheymeh nesar. “Mince” in the legacy title refers to meat cut into small pieces, not ground mince. This gheymeh nesar recipe therefore keeps the original 500 g lamb as small stew cubes.

Gheymeh Nesar recipe ingredients

For the lamb

  • 500 g boneless lamb or mutton shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 2 tablespoons fried onion, or 1 medium onion finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 cups hot water, plus more if needed

For the rice and jeweled topping

  • 6 cups basmati rice
  • 100 g butter
  • 2 tablespoons dried barberries
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, according to the tartness of the barberries
  • 1 tablespoon fine candied orange-peel strips
  • 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
  • 1 tablespoon slivered pistachios
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater
  • 1 tablespoon concentrated saffron infusion
  • Salt, for soaking and boiling the rice
  • A little neutral oil
  • Thin potato slices or flatbread, optional, for tahdig

Six cups of uncooked rice makes a large platter. Use a broad pot so the grains steam freely rather than packing into a deep, heavy layer.

Cook the lamb until tender

Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan. If starting with a fresh onion, cook it until deep gold. Reserve a little for the final garnish if you like.

Add the lamb, turmeric and black pepper. Brown the pieces on all sides, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and loses its raw smell.

Add the cinnamon, cardamom and hot water. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the lamb is tender, usually 75 to 90 minutes.

Uncover near the end so the cooking liquid reduces to a small amount of glossy sauce. Gheyme nesar is assembled as a rice dish, so the meat should be moist but not surrounded by a thin stew.

Prepare the almonds and orange peel

Mix the slivered almonds with the rosewater and a teaspoon of the saffron infusion. Leave them to soak while the meat and rice cook, then drain.

If the orange peel is already candied, separate the strips and set them aside. If using plain dried or fresh peel, remove the white pith and blanch the strips in three changes of water before sweetening them briefly with a teaspoon of sugar.

Rinse the barberries carefully

Pick through the barberries and rinse them in a bowl of cool water, lifting them out so any grit stays at the bottom. Drain and pat dry.

Melt a small knob of the butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add the barberries and 1 tablespoon sugar and toss for 30 to 60 seconds, only until glossy. Taste one before adding the second tablespoon of sugar. Remove the pan immediately; barberries burn quickly.

Parboil the rice

Rinse the rice, then soak it in salted water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the rice. Cook until the grains are flexible on the outside but retain a firm centre, then drain promptly and rinse briefly with lukewarm water.

Steam the rice and tahdig

Warm a little oil in a clean heavy pot. Line the base with thin potato slices or flatbread if making tahdig.

Spoon the rice into a loose mound and make several steam holes with the handle of a spoon. Dot with most of the remaining butter.

Cover the lid with a clean tea towel. Steam over medium heat just until steam builds, then reduce to low and cook for 35 to 45 minutes.

Finish the jeweled garnish

Warm another small knob of butter in a pan. Add the drained almonds for 1 to 2 minutes, then the orange peel. Add the pistachios only at the end so they retain their green colour.

Mix a few spoonfuls of the cooked rice with the remaining saffron infusion. Our guide to brewing saffron explains how to make the concentrated liquid.

Assemble Gheyme Nesar

Spread part of the white rice on a large platter. Spoon over some lamb and its reduced sauce, then add another layer of rice.

Finish with the saffron rice, remaining lamb, barberries, almonds, pistachios, orange peel and reserved fried onion. Distribute the garnishes rather than mixing vigorously, which would break the rice and stain every grain with barberry juice.

Useful checks

  • The lamb is tough: keep simmering with a little more hot water before reducing the sauce.
  • The barberries turn dark: the pan was too hot or they cooked too long.
  • The rice becomes heavy: parboil it less and mound it loosely for steaming.
  • The orange peel is bitter: remove the pith and repeat the blanching step.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat the rice and lamb until steaming throughout, adding the reserved pistachios after reheating if possible.