Chicken stew with prunes (Khoresh-e aloo)

1. Cut the chicken thigh fillets into large pieces and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a pan fry the thinly sliced onions in the oil for 10 minutes until golden brown, then add the turmeric and cinnamon.

3. Add the chicken, brown on all sides, then stir in the tomato purée and fry for 1 minute.

4. Pour in the water, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

5. Add the prunes, sugar and the saffron soaked in a little warm water and cook uncovered for another 20 minutes, until the prunes are soft and the sauce has thickened.

6. Serve with saffron basmati rice.

Tip: In Iran this stew is made with small, tart golden dried plums (aloo bokhara); ordinary prunes make it sweeter, so you can balance it with a little lemon juice. Made with lamb, the cooking time rises to 1½ hours.