Gheimeh & Goodbye

This is the final video that Bita and I recorded and it was one of her last wishes for me to finish and post it before she passed away from cancer. I apologize that you have to put up with my voice for the voiceover parts but she had become too weak to complete them herself and requested that I do it instead.

In Farsi, Bita means "unique" and Khorasani means "from the land of the sun" and it could not have been a more fitting name for her. She was truly one of a kind and would light up any room she entered. Bita was such a kind and selfless person, someone who would go out of her way to help her friends and family whenever possible. Her life wasn't easy, but she worked tirelessly and accomplished so much in such a tragically short amount of time. She would've been the last person to admit it, but she was brilliant and was constantly researching and learning new skills. I am incredibly fortunate and grateful that she chose to be my best friend and partner and I miss her so much now that it can be unbearable at times.

I will leave this site up as a memorial to Bita, so her friends and family can come here to see her smile and hear her voice whenever they need it. I also hope that others will be inspired to try their hand at cooking some Persian recipes. In my opinion, it is one of the best cuisines in the world and deserves much more recognition than it has been given so far. What else could you expect from such a rich and diverse culture?

Thank you to everyone who joined us through this journey, and thank you to everyone who provided support when Bita needed it the most. I am humbled by your kindness.

Before we get to the recipe, just an fyi, the dried limes are not edible. You can however press them to release their juices if you want an extra burst of sourness in your next bite. I recommend trying it if you like sour foods. Bita studied in Northern Iran and she loved their sour dishes, and would tell me about the sourness of the white pomegranate from that region.

Recipe for Gheimeh:

For the Stew:
2 Tbsp Ghee or Cooking Oil
1 Large Onion
1 lb. Stew Meat
1 Tbsp. turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
0.5 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. Ghee or Cooking Oil
4 Tbsp. tomato Paste
1/2 cup split peas (slow cook variety)
Black pepper (to taste)
2 cups boiling water
Salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp. rose water
4-5 dried lemons (limes)
1 tsp. saffron threads
Crushed ice
0.25 tsp. cardamom

For the topping:
4 Russet Potatoes
Oil for frying
Salt (to taste)

Rice for serving