Persian Turkmen Chekderme (Turkmen Meat and Rice)

Name: Persian Turkmen Chekderme (Turkmen Meat and Rice)
Total time: 14400 s
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250 –300 g boneless lamb, cut into cubes; 3 cups (480 g) long-grain rice, preferably Iranian; 250 g tomatoes, grated or finely chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 large onion; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; Salt, to taste; as needed Water; 4 tbsp oil

Fateme Persian Kitchen @Fateme__1362

Iran ( Persia ) . Tehran

Chekderme is one of the best-known traditional dishes of the Turkmen people of Iran, especially in Golestan Province and the Turkmen Sahra region. It is traditionally made with lamb and rice, cooked together with tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, and spices.

Traditionally, Chekderme is cooked in a heavy cast-iron pot called a Qazan, which is an important part of Turkmen cooking culture.

I don't have a Qazan at home, so I made mine in an ordinary pot. 😂 Sometimes we have to let tradition meet reality!

This is my homemade version of this delicious Turkmen dish, using Iranian rice and lamb. I served it with Shirazi Salad and fresh Persian herbs.

#PersianCuisine #IranianCuisine #TurkmenCuisine #TurkmenFood #Chekderme #Chekdermeh #IranianFood #PersianFood #PersianRice #LambAndRice #Qazan

Traditionally, Chekderme is cooked in a heavy cast-iron pot called a Qazan, which is an important part of Turkmen cooking culture.

I don't have a Qazan at home, so I made mine in an ordinary pot. 😂 Sometimes we have to let tradition meet reality!

This is my homemade version of this delicious Turkmen dish, using Iranian rice and lamb. I served it with Shirazi Salad and fresh Persian herbs.

#PersianCuisine #IranianCuisine #TurkmenCuisine #TurkmenFood #Chekderme #Chekdermeh #IranianFood #PersianFood #PersianRice #LambAndRice #Qazan

Fateme Persian Kitchen @Fateme__1362

Iran ( Persia ) . Tehran

Traditionally, Chekderme is cooked in a heavy cast-iron pot called a Qazan, which is an important part of Turkmen cooking culture.

I don't have a Qazan at home, so I made mine in an ordinary pot. 😂 Sometimes we have to let tradition meet reality!

This is my homemade version of this delicious Turkmen dish, using Iranian rice and lamb. I served it with Shirazi Salad and fresh Persian herbs.

#PersianCuisine #IranianCuisine #TurkmenCuisine #TurkmenFood #Chekderme #Chekdermeh #IranianFood #PersianFood #PersianRice #LambAndRice #Qazan

Traditionally, Chekderme is cooked in a heavy cast-iron pot called a Qazan, which is an important part of Turkmen cooking culture.

I don't have a Qazan at home, so I made mine in an ordinary pot. 😂 Sometimes we have to let tradition meet reality!

This is my homemade version of this delicious Turkmen dish, using Iranian rice and lamb. I served it with Shirazi Salad and fresh Persian herbs.

#PersianCuisine #IranianCuisine #TurkmenCuisine #TurkmenFood #Chekderme #Chekdermeh #IranianFood #PersianFood #PersianRice #LambAndRice #Qazan

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Ingredients

4 hours

3 servings

250–300 g boneless lamb, cut into cubes
3 cups (480 g)long-grain rice, preferably Iranian
250 gtomatoes, grated or finely chopped
2 tbsptomato paste
1large onion
1 tspturmeric powder
1/2 tspground black pepper
Salt, to taste
as neededWater
4 tbspoil

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Steps

4 hours

1

Cut the lamb into cubes.
2

Grate the tomatoes using the coarse side of a grater, or finely chop them.
3

Coarsely grate or finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion until it begins to change color.
4

Add the lamb and fry well.
5

Add the tomatoes and continue frying.
6

Add the tomato paste and fry until the mixture becomes nicely colored.
7

Add the spices and fry until fragrant.
8

Add water as needed. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let the lamb cook completely without becoming too soft or falling apart.
9

If there is too much cooking liquid at the end, let some of it evaporate.
10

About one hour before the lamb finishes cooking, wash the rice and soak it in salted water. The water should taste neither too salty nor completely bland. For Iranian rice, I soaked it for 30 minutes.
11

Add the rice and salt to the cooked meat and its cooking liquid. Add enough salt so that the cooking liquid tastes well-seasoned, but not too salty. As shown in the photo, the liquid is not quite enough at this stage. Add more water as needed until the liquid reaches about one finger-width above the surface of the rice.
12

Let the liquid come to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked to the point where the grains are soft around the edges but still slightly firm in the center. See my Kateh Rice Cooking Method for more details.

Persian Kateh (Steamed Persian Rice)
13

If the rice is not fully cooked, add a little more water and allow it to cook further.
14

Once the rice is cooked, mound it into a small hill in the pot. Make several holes through the rice all the way to the bottom of the pot to help it cook evenly.
15

Wrap the lid of the pot in a clean kitchen towel and place it over the pot. Let the rice steam over low heat. For Iranian rice, this final cooking stage takes about 30 minutes. Other types of rice may require more time.
16

Serve with Shirazi Salad or fresh Persian herbs for an even more delicious meal.

Shirazi Salad (Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad)

Linked Recipes

Persian Kateh (Steamed Persian Rice)

Shirazi Salad (Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad)

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Cooksnaps

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Fateme Persian Kitchen @Fateme__1362

on August 25, 2026 06:50

Iran ( Persia ) . Tehran

Hi, I’m Fateme 👩‍🍳A home cook sharing traditional Persian recipes made simple.From stews to rice dishes, everything is explained step by step.Discover more on my Persian cooking page 👇 @Fateme_1362