Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian herb and lamb stew)

Recipe No.: W-52

InternationalIranian240 minServes 4

Ghormeh sabzi is one of Iran's best-loved dishes and is often called a national dish in Iranian homes. It is built on a generous amount of green herbs (parsley, coriander, leek or spring onion and dried fenugreek leaves) that are fried for a long time until dark, then cooked with meat, red kidney beans and dried Omani limes that give the stew its distinctive sourness. It is usually served with plain steamed rice. It is said that a good ghormeh sabzi is judged by the cook's patience in frying the herbs and by the oil that rises to the surface at the end.

Origin of the dish: Iran

Ingredients for Ghormeh Sabzi

• 500 glamb or beef (shoulder), cut into 3 cm cubes
• 1large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbspvegetable oil for the meat, plus 3 tbsp more for frying the herbs
• 1 tspturmeric
• 100 gdried red kidney beans, soaked overnight (or one 240 g can, drained)
• 200 gfresh parsley, chopped
• 150 gfresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 150 gspring onions (or leek), chopped
• 2 tbspdried fenugreek leaves
• 4dried Omani limes (limoo amani), pierced with a fork
• 1½ tspsalt
• ½ tspground black pepper
• 1.2 litreshot water
• To servePersian-style steamed basmati rice

Method

1. Soak the kidney beans overnight, drain, then boil in fresh water for about 45 minutes until nearly tender. Drain.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pot and cook the onion over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the turmeric and stir for a minute.
3. Add the meat and brown it on all sides for 8 to 10 minutes, then pour in the hot water and add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan and fry the parsley, coriander and spring onions over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes until dark green and fragrant. Add the dried fenugreek for the last 3 minutes.
5. Stir the fried herbs into the meat pot, then add the beans and the pierced dried limes and mix gently.
6. Partly cover and cook over very low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until the stew thickens, the oil rises to the surface and the meat is tender.
7. Taste and adjust the salt; for more sourness squeeze one of the dried limes into the sauce. Serve hot with rice.

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