The word is a substantive of the verb khordan (Persian: خوردن) "to eat" and literally means "meal".

It generally refers to different stews pilaf (rice).

In Iranian cuisines, there are many different khoresh with many unique ingredients.

Iranian stews use desired amounts of saffron to give a distinctive and fragrant taste.

The most popular khoreshes in Iranian cuisine are gheimeh, ghormeh sabzi and fesenjan.