Persian cooking: recipes · Khoresht: stews (served with rice)
Ghormeh Sabzi قورمهسبزی
This herb stew is Iran’s national dish: plenty of fried herbs, tender meat, kidney beans and the sour note of dried limes.
Ingredients
- 2000 g lamb or beef (stewing cubes)
- 8 onions
- 4 tsp turmeric
- 8 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 4 bunch fresh coriander
- 4 bunch spring onions or leek greens
- 8 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 1000 g red kidney beans (cooked)
- 16 dried limes (limoo amani)
- 24 tbsp oil
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Method
- Finely dice the onions and fry in 3 tbsp oil until golden. Add turmeric and the meat and brown on all sides.
- Cover with water, season with salt and braise covered for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile chop the parsley, coriander and spring onions very finely. Fry them in 3 tbsp oil over medium heat for 15–20 minutes until dark green and fragrant. Briefly fry the fenugreek at the end.
- Pierce the limes with a fork. Add the herbs, limes and beans to the meat.
- Simmer over low heat for another 1–1.5 hours until the meat is tender and oil shows on the surface. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with chelow (saffron rice).