Khoresh Rivas (Savory Rhubarb and Bean Stew)

In Iranian cooking, rhubarb often goes into savory dishes, and here it brings a bright tang to an herb-heavy stew of butter beans. Pick up rhubarb and big bunches of parsley and mint at the market in spring, and serve the stew over rice with plain yogurt on the side.

Serves 6 · 1½ hours

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar, plus a pinch, plus more to taste
• A pinch of saffron threads (about ¾ teaspoon)
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 3 large bunches parsley (about 12 ounces), tough stems removed, leaves and tender stems finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 2 large bunches mint (about 5 ounces), leaves finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 (15-ounce) cans butter beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 to 3 large red rhubarb stalks (about 8 ounces), cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a few tablespoons of water to a boil and let it cool for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl and the end of a wooden spoon). Stir in 2 tablespoons of the hot water, cover and set aside to steep.
2. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the parsley, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and smells fragrant, about 8 minutes, adding a little more oil if the pan looks dry. Add the mint and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often, since mint scorches quickly. Set aside and keep the pan for later.
3. In a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan with a lid, heat another ¼ cup of oil over medium-high. Cook the onion, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Salt it lightly and lower the heat to medium.
4. Stir in the turmeric and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the beans, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring gently so the beans stay whole. The turmeric may taste strong at this stage, but it mellows as the stew simmers.
5. Add the herb mixture, 2 cups water, half of the saffron liquid and a little salt. Bring to a brisk simmer, then partly cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the oil rises to the surface.
6. Add the rest of the saffron liquid, the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar. Simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes more, tasting and seasoning as you go. Add water if it's too thick, or uncover to reduce it. You want plenty of sauce to spoon over rice without the stew being soupy.
7. Wipe out the herb pan, add the last tablespoon of oil and set it over medium heat. Sear the rhubarb about 2 minutes per side, just until the color deepens. It should keep its shape and still have some bite.
8. Lay the rhubarb on top of the stew, raise the heat to medium-low and cook, partly covered, about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender. Don't stir, or it will fall apart. Taste, adding more lemon for tang or sugar for balance, and serve over rice.

Tips

• Pulse the herbs in batches in a food processor to chop them quickly.
• The stew tastes even better the next day. You can make it through step 6 a day ahead, then add the rhubarb when you reheat it.

Adapted from a recipe by Naz Deravian in NYT Cooking.