This is typical Iranian recipe of chicken stew with mildly spicy, aromatic pomegranate and walnuts sauce. The Persian name of this delicious Persian chicken stew is Khoresh Fesenjan. I sometimes make a vegetarian version of fesenjan sauce with chickpeas, and sometimes with vegetables. This authentic Persian Chicken stew recipe is made with chicken. It is served with another Persian delicacy Khoresht-e-Ghorme-sabzi (green vegetable and meat stew) and rice, this makes a comfort meal on an Iranian table. I first cook the chicken separately, and then I slow cook it in a nutty, aromatic and spicy Walnut and pomegranate sauce. Fesenjan sauce is mildly sweet and tangy because of pomegranate molasses, and pomegranate pearls.
The chicken stew is a rich, perfect to serve during winters. It combines the goodness of two delicious and healthy ingredients walnuts and pomegranates. I used California walnuts, as this is a perfect recipe to use healthy walnuts. The original recipe of Persian chicken uses full chicken breasts, I have used cut boneless chicken breast. While cooking the sauce for the chicken stew, I use toasted walnuts which I grind first. While cooking the walnut sauce in Persian style I cook it till oil starts to float on the top. For making the sauce for the chicken stew, I toast walnuts and grind them. If you like little texture in the sauce, use a mix of tasted and ground walnuts and finely chopped walnuts. When I cook toasted and ground walnuts with molasses and spices, it makes a rich smooth sauce for Persian chicken stew.
Persian Chicken Stew
You can use chicken with bones or boneless which I used in this recipe as per your liking. As I said previously if you are vegetarian like this sauce works beautifully with chickpeas and tofu too. If you love meat, I can tell you there is never leftover fesenjan even if I make a double batch :). If you like to try other chicken dishes you can try chicken dum biryani , Butter chicken in Slow cooker, Chicken Tikka Masala
📖 Recipe
