Ghormeh Sabzi
Persian herb stew · قورمهسبزی
- 30 min Prep
- 3 h Cook
- 6 Servings
- Medium
Iran's best-loved stew: tender meat, kidney beans and dried limes simmered for hours in a deep green sauce of fried herbs.
Ask almost any Iranian to name the dish that tastes like home and the answer is ghormeh sabzi. Its flavour comes from a mountain of parsley, cilantro, chives and fenugreek, chopped fine and fried slowly until it turns nearly black-green and smells deeply savoury. Dried limes add a sour, slightly bitter depth that no other ingredient can imitate.
The stew is better the next day, and it rewards patience: the herbs need a long, gentle fry, and the stew needs a long, gentle simmer for the oil to rise to the top, which is the sign Persian cooks look for that it is ready (ja oftadeh). Serve it over chelow, saffron rice, with tahdig on the side.
Ingredients
Stew
Herbs
Instructions
- Wash the herbs, dry them very well on towels, and chop them finely by hand or in short pulses in a food processor. Wet herbs steam instead of fry.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the onions until golden, about 12 minutes, then stir in the turmeric for 30 seconds.
- Add the meat and brown it on all sides. Add the drained beans and the water, bring to a boil, skim, then cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Fry the chopped herbs, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes until they darken and smell fragrant. Stir in the fenugreek for the last minute only; it burns easily and turns bitter.
- Stir the fried herbs into the pot with the dried limes, salt and pepper. Press the limes down so they soak up the liquid.
- Cover and simmer on very low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the meat is very tender and a layer of oil rises to the surface.
- Taste. For more sourness, squeeze one of the softened limes into the stew or add a little fresh lime juice. Adjust the salt.
- Serve hot over chelow (saffron rice), with tahdig, raw onion and fresh herbs on the side.
Tips & variations
- Short on time? Persian grocers sell frozen chopped ghormeh herbs and ready-fried herbs (sabzi ghormeh sorkh-shodeh). Use about 400 g of either and skip the long fry for the ready-fried kind.
- Black-eyed peas or pinto beans can stand in for kidney beans; some families in the south use them by tradition.
- For a vegetarian version, leave out the meat, double the beans and add 300 g of mushrooms browned in oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my ghormeh sabzi bitter?
Usually from burnt fenugreek or from dried limes left in too long without piercing. Add fenugreek at the end of the herb fry and pierce the limes; if the stew is already bitter, a teaspoon of sugar softens it.
Can I make ghormeh sabzi in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot?
Yes. Fry the herbs separately as usual, then cook everything under pressure for 35 minutes and simmer uncovered for 15 more to let the oil rise.
Where to buy the ingredients
Persian grocers carry the saffron, dried herbs, spices and long-grain rice that Persian cooking depends on:
Rather eat out?
Persian restaurants that serve it:
Khoresh Gheimeh
Fesenjan
Chelow with Tahdig