Lentil, Lamb + Prune Braise

I first tasted this braise in Qazvin. The combination of prunes and verjuice in a spicy sauce is unique. This dish is also attributed to the village of Taleqan, between Qazvin and the Caspian, where they make it with small sour plums/alucheh and no meat. In Kashan, where it’s called nokhod aleh, they omit the potatoes, and replace the lentils with 1 cup dried chickpeas. The verjuice is replaced with dried limes and saffron.