What is "khoresh"

Khoresh is a generic term for stew dishes in Persian cuisine. The word is a substantive of the verb xordan "to eat" and literally means "meal". The word is often misspelt Khoresht in writing, which is attributable to linguistic hypercorrection. An alternative, although rare spelling, is Khorisht.

It generally refers to different stews in the Persian cuisine, and is typically served beside polo (rice). In Persian cuisines there are many different Khoresh with many unique ingredients. Vegetarian Khoreshes are common. Iranian stews use liberal amounts of saffron to give a distinctive and fragrant taste. The most popular Khoreshes are Khoresh Gheymeh, Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi and Khoresh Fesenjaan. These stews feature in Mesopotamian cuisine also.