Tareh (chives) stew

"Tareh" Stew,
A Traditional Dish from Kurdistan Province
There is a great variety of stews in the Persian cuisine. Iranians have made stews from every possible substance and they normally eat this stew served over traditional white rice with different garnishes which makes a hearty and filling meal. Iranian home cooks have picked different aromatic herbs from different parts of the country for thousands of years and they have combined them with various other ingredients to bring delicious dishes to the table. This particular stew has chives as a main ingredient (which is most often eaten raw with a variety of other greens as a side dish) and it is quite unusual to use chives as an anchor in a stew but most of those that taste the dish for the first time usually enjoy the new taste.
This is a very traditional dish so you can never find it in a restaurant. It is cooked and enjoyed in Kurdestan and Kermanshah provinces of Iran and it is immensely popular.
Ingredients: (for 4 persons)
500 grams ground beef (high fat is best)
1 kg chopped chives
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dried barberries (you can buy this in most Persian grocery stores)
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt, pepper and turmeric powder to taste
How to:
Peel and chop onions and fry them with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt until crispy and golden. Add minced beef and stir until almost brown. Add turmeric powder and black pepper and continue cooking until the meet is completely done. Add chopped chives and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well until well incorporated. Mix in two cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Put the lid on and simmer for an hour until the mixture comes together well and thickens slightly. Add washed and soaked barberries around 10 minutes prior to cooking and continue simmering.
Garnish with halved small tomatoes and potato crisps. To serve: simply pour stew in a big shallow bowl and let each person put desired amount of the contents over white rice.
Tips:
It is crucial for a Tareh stew to taste as traditional as possible to make sure to have patience when frying onions and use enough vegetable oil to have crispy golden onions that plays a very important part in the taste of the stew. Make sure to cook to stew long enough; you don't want too much liquid in this dish, just a few tablespoons are enough. Do not add the barberries too early in the cooking time because they burst when they are overcooked and it gives the stew too much acidity and an unpleasant color. Those who prefer a more sour taste profile can add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar just before serving. It is best to use fresh garlic chives in this recipe but other varieties can be substituted. This stew is sometimes cooked using diced and brown pieces of lamb flank.