Fried Wedding Stew (Lagan Nu Istu)
This traditional Parsi wedding stew, known as Lagan Nu Istu, is a luxurious medley of fried root vegetables, pearl onions, and fresh herbs simmered in a rich ghee sauce. The unique preparation involves individually frying sweet potatoes, yams, and pumpkin to lock in flavor before slow-cooking them with aromatic ginger, garlic, and spices. A celebration dish that yields a massive quantity, it offers a complex interplay of textures and savory-sweet flavors perfect for large gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Sweet potatoes (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and cubed.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Purple Yam (Ratalu) (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and cubed.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Root Vegetable (Kamodiyo Kand) (Originally 1.5 seer. Can substitute with regular yam or potato if unavailable.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Elephant Foot Yam (Suran) (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and cubed.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Potatoes (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and cubed.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Dried Double Beans (Lima Beans) (Originally 1.5 seer. Soaked and ready to cook.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Large Green Peas (Originally 1.5 seer.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Red Pumpkin (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and cubed.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Small Ripe Tomatoes (Originally 1.5 seer.)
- 5 pounds Ghee (Originally 5-7 seer. Used for deep frying and the sauce base. Adjust as needed for frying.)
- 5 pounds Large Onions (Originally 5 seer. Finely sliced.)
- 2 pounds Pearl Onions (Very small onions) (Originally 2 seer. Peeled and kept whole.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Fresh Almonds (Originally 1.5 seer. Peeled and sliced vertically.)
- 5 tablespoons Salt (Originally 5 tolas (approx 58g). Adjust to taste.)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Ginger (Originally 2.5 tolas. Peeled and crushed/minced.)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Garlic (Originally 1.5 tolas. Peeled and crushed/minced.)
- 4 tablespoons Ground Turmeric (Originally 4 heaped spoons.)
- 4 tablespoons Black Pepper (Originally 4 heaped spoons. Ground.)
- 15 bunches Fresh Cilantro (Coriander) (Leaves only, washed and chopped.)
- 15 whole Large Green Chilies (Washed and chopped.)
- 25 leaves Mint leaves (Washed and chopped.)
- 2 cups Water (Originally 1 seer.)
Instructions
- 1Peel the almonds and slice them vertically. Peel and crush the ginger and garlic. Peel the small pearl onions and wash them. Peel the pumpkin, potatoes, elephant foot yam (suran), sweet potatoes, and purple yam (ratalu). Cut all these root vegetables into whole chunks about the size of a large chickpea or small lime. Wash all vegetables separately. Wash the cilantro, mint leaves, and green chilies, dry them, and chop finely. Peel the large onions and slice them very finely (like sev).
- 2In a large, heavy-bottomed vessel (traditionally tin-coated copper), heat the ghee until hot. Fry all the cut vegetables and the whole pearl onions separately in the ghee until they turn a pale red color. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and set aside. Do not fry the tomatoes.
- 3In the same ghee used for frying the vegetables, fry the sliced large onions until they are pale red. Add the crushed ginger and garlic and sauté briefly. Then, add all the previously fried vegetables, the chopped cilantro, green chilies, mint, turmeric, black pepper, salt, and almonds. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- 4Pour in about 2 cups (1 seer) of water. Cover the pot with a lid and place it over low heat (embers). Open occasionally to stir gently with a spoon. When the water has almost evaporated and only a trace remains, mix in the tomatoes. Continue cooking until the ghee separates and floats to the top. Remove from heat and serve.