Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
Iran's best-loved stew — lamb simmered for hours with a mass of fried herbs, kidney beans and whole dried limes until the sauce turns dark green, deep and sour. It is served over plain basmati rice.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 700 g boneless lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 200 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 100 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 100 g leek greens or chives, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 4 dried limes, pierced with a fork
- 400 g tinned red kidney beans, drained
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 l hot water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 600 g cooked basmati rice, to serve
Nutrition (estimated)
high confidenceRecipe total: 5673 kcal · P 274.7g · C 658g · F 213.9g
Estimated from 15 of 15 ingredients
Approximate estimate, calculated from the ingredients.
Steps
Steps
- 1Heat half the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the onions for 10 minutes until golden. Add the turmeric and lamb and fry for 8 minutes, turning, until the meat is coloured all over.
- 2Pour in the hot water, add the salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- 3Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat and fry the parsley, coriander and leek greens for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until they shrink, turn a deep dark green and smell toasty — this slow frying is what gives the stew its depth. Add the fenugreek for the last 2 minutes only, as it burns quickly.
- 4Stir the fried herbs into the pot with the pierced dried limes, cover and simmer for 1 hour more.
- 5Add the kidney beans and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, until the lamb is very tender and a film of oil rises to the surface.
- 6Press the limes against the side of the pot to release their juice, then taste and sharpen with the lemon juice if needed.
- 7Rest for 10 minutes and serve over the rice.
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Questions and answers
How long does Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew) take to make?
About 190 minutes: 30 min prep and 160 min cooking.
What ingredients do you need for Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)?
15 ingredients: boneless lamb shoulder or beef chuck, onions, sunflower oil, ground turmeric, flat-leaf parsley, fresh coriander, leek greens or chives, dried fenugreek leaves, dried limes, tinned red kidney beans, salt, black pepper and 3 more.
How many servings does this Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew) recipe make?
6 servings. The servings buttons above the ingredients rescale every amount.
How many calories are in a serving of Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)?
About 946 kcal, with 45.8 g protein, 109.7 g carbohydrate and 35.7 g fat. This is an estimate from the ingredients, not a lab analysis.
Which diets does this Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew) recipe suit?
It is gluten-free and dairy-free.
What cuisine is Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)?
Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew) comes from Persian cuisine.
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