This traditional Persian Khoresh-e Beh relies on a patient, low-and-slow simmer to transform the naturally firm, astringent quince into a tender, jammy delicacy, partnered with tender beef or lamb. The result is a deeply aromatic, one-pot meal where the fruit’s floral sweetness balances the tang of pomegranate molasses. You will find this dish in any Persian home, Persian restaurants, and served at Persian weddings. Growing up, my mom would make this dish almost every Friday night.
🧾 Don’t substitute the quince!
Candice Recommends
Do not substitute this ingredient, since it offers a unique flavor you can’t find in other ingredients. You can find Quince when it’s in season in the fall from September to December. I like to buy enough for the year, core it, and freeze it in large freezer bags.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in oil over medium-high heat until softened and translucent. Add the stew meat, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the beef is deeply browned on all sides to lock in the savory flavor. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and pomegranate molasses, then pour in the water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Carefully fold in the prunes and quince wedges. Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender and the quince has softened.
Optional: Just before serving, stir in the bloomed saffron for an extra layer of floral aroma.
🍽️ To serve…
To truly enjoy the rich, jammy depth of this stew, I always serve it over a bed of Persian steamed basmati rice. The long, fluffy grains are essential for soaking up the glossy broth without losing their structure.
If you’re looking to take the meal to the next level, I highly recommend making a Crispy Tahdig at the bottom of your rice pot. The shatteringly crisp texture of the rice with small bits that soften under the stew is the perfect foil to the tender, slow-simmered quince and meat.
To round everything out, we always put a fresh Sabzi Khordan platter on the table. A few sprigs of fresh taragon and crunchy radishes provide a bright, peppery snap that cuts through the richness of the braise perfectly.
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Khoresh Beh (Persian Quince & Plum Beef Stew)
Print Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1 yellow onion diced or sliced in half moons
- 2 tbsp oil flavorless, like canola or vegetable
- 2 lbs. stew meat shoulder, chuck, or cow neck, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses see notes for store-bought
- ¾ cup prunes
- 3 quinces each cut in 8 wedges (If you can’t find quince, you can substitute with granny smith apples. However, do not add the apples until the last 15-20 minutes.)
- 1 pinch saffron ground and steeped in 2 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in oil over medium-high heat until softened and translucent.1 yellow onion, 2 tbsp oil
- Add the stew meat, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the beef is deeply browned on all sides to lock in the savory flavor.2 lbs. stew meat, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and pomegranate molasses, then pour in the water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Carefully fold in the prunes and quince wedges. Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender and the quince has softened.16 oz tomato sauce, 3 oz tomato paste, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 3/4 cup prunes, 3 quinces
- Optional: Just before serving, stir in the bloomed saffron for an extra layer of floral aroma. Serve hot over a bed of fluffy basmati rice. Noush-e-jan!1 pinch saffron
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Related Recipes
Khoresh e Beh is just one of the amazing Persian stew recipes you will discover on the blog!
Delicious! Definitely on our list for a repeat when we next have access to quinces. I used lamb instead of beef. I also rehydrated homemade tomato leather for sauce and paste, which might have given it a richer tomato flavor. Now I’m off to try the Kuku Sibzamini and next, Ash Anar. I expect to enjoy this website.
This Khoresh e Beh sounds absolutely delicious! The combination of quince, plums, and beef must create such a rich, comforting flavor. I love that it brings back memories of home and is a staple in Persian culture. I can already imagine how wonderful your kitchen must smell while it’s cooking. Can’t wait to try making it myself!
unbelievable !! So delish😋😋😋
I am giving 3 stars as we are waiting the full pot to finish cooking. I will try to come back and update after we’re finished. I do want to comment that the directions written below the recipe do not match the pictures/words above the recipe. My bad for not reading through both first. I didn’t cook the meat for an hour first and added all ingredients and simmering now for the 90 minutes. Other alterations I made: added alloo instead of prunes, added 4 carrots and 3 potatoes. We’ll see!
Hi Frances, we never heard from you… how did it come out?
I finally know what to do with the quince from the tree in my yard. Hoping my Tajik neighbors will love it as much as Iranians do!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you think, Tiffany!
This week, I had the opportunity to buy a 5-gallon bucket full of gorgeous quince from a neighbor with a tree in her back yard. I have not tried it before and had jelly in mind but have quickly realized how much jelly that bucketful will make! So I started a batch of membrillo yesterday and now have an 8×8 inch baking dish full of the thick sauce in the dehydrator. The instant pot has another batch of cooked quince waiting to be drained and then boiled into jelly. (I’m going to try throwing in jalapenos for a pepper jelly). So when this recipe came up, I gladly went out and bought a $15 chuck steak (only around 1.25 lbs) and I have it stewing with the other ingredients now. I didn’t have pomegranate molasses, so I threw in a 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds, figuring they will cook down too. Looking forward very much to trying it!
What an incredible bounty of quince, Debra! And you’re making such wonderful things.
The pomegranate will cook down – homemade pomegranate molasses is just cooked down pomegranate juice. Sounds like you had quite the feast… enjoy!
Thank you Candace. I loved your recipe. This came very close to my mom’s recipe. The portions were all perfect.
This makes me so happy to hear, Anoosheh! It’s hard to live up to a mom’s recipe. Thank you.
This recipe is missing yellow split peas
Khoresh e beh does not usually have split peas, but you can add them if you’d like! You may be thinking about Koresh Gheymeh 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been wanting to try something different lately, and this is perfect! The flavors worked so well together & it was so nice to be able to see every step in preparation so beautifully documented.
That is wonderful to hear, Meg! This one is always such a hit with everyone. Glad you enjoyed the flavors!
What a flavorful, hearty stew! My home smelled amazing making this!
Thank you, Jamie… So glad to hear you enjoyed it!