Ghormeh Sabzi Recipe

Ghormeh Sabzi is a classic Persian stew cooked with fragrant herbs, kidney beans, and beef. The key to a very flavorful Ghormeh Sabzi is to use just the right portion of herbs and simmer the stew for a few hours to let the flavors develop. Slowly cooked to perfection with the aroma of herbs like parsley, coriander, and fenugreek paired with a plate of fluffy Persian saffron rice.

About This Recipe

I can confidently say that Ghormeh Sabzi is one of the favorite dishes of most Iranians. This classic Persian herb stew is irresistibly delicious and packed with tons of flavor. Ghormeh Sabzi is cooked all over the country, and many regions have put their own twists on the original recipe using various beans or various herb mixes. The taste of this stew should be slightly sour, therefore, a little dried lime(Limoo Amani) or fresh lemon juice is added to it, the peel of the dried lime gives a pleasantly bitter taste to the stew.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Flavorful: The flavors in Persian herb stew are just perfect. With the right blend of herbs, and seasonings, it can be a fragrant and deeply flavorful dish.
• Easy to make: Ghormeh Sabzi is relatively easy to make, even for beginners in the kitchen. You don’t need to be a culinary expert to cook a perfect Persian herb stew.
• Loaded with herbs: Ghormeh Sabzi stew is irresistibly delicious and loaded with fragrant herbs. It’s perfect when served with Persian saffron rice and a bowl of Shirazi salad.

Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi Ingredients

In traditional Iranian cuisine, you can find a long list of delicious stews. Like celery stew, eggplant stew, spinach and plum stew, okra stew, etc. The use of different ingredients and special flavorings makes each of these dishes its own unique flavor and aroma. Persian herb stew is a combination of fork-tender beef or lamb, Sabzi Ghormeh(herb mix), and beans. The only misleading thing about this stew that makes it difficult to cook is the herbs and their proportions.

• Beef or lamb: For Ghormeh Sabzi and Gheimeh, which are the staples of Persian cuisine, we prefer to use beef or lamb. Lamb has more fat content than beef, and this is what makes Iranian stew more delicious.
• Herbs: The herb mix for this stew consists of chives, parsley, coriander, and fenugreek. Some even add a little spinach to the mix.
• Beans: The main beans used in the herb stew are red beans or kidney beans, but in some regions of Iran, it is also cooked with pinto beans and black-eyed beans.
• Spices: The spices used in this stew are turmeric, black pepper, salt, dried lime, and a little brewed saffron for more aroma.

Instructions

•  Soak the beans in cold water overnight and change the water a couple of times.
• Wash the herbs in cool water to remove dirt, then dry and chop finely with a sharp knife.
• In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the herbs while stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the herbs turn into a dark shade of green. Set aside.
• In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions with 2 tablespoons of oil for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
• Add the lamb chunks, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the onions and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain kidney beans and add them to the stew.
• Add 4-5 cups of water. Cover the pot, and bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat, and let the stew simmer gently for about 1 hour.
• After 1 hour add the fried herbs and let the stew simmer gently for another 2 hours. Check occasionally and add more water if needed.
• Pierce the dried lemons carefully with a fork. Soak them in hot water for 30 minutes to get all the bitterness out.
• Add dried limes. Taste and add salt or pepper and our grape juice (Ab-Ghooreh) or lemon juice if needed. Cook for another hour until the stew thickens up.
• Serve with Persian steamed saffron rice.

Expert Tips

• Using lamb makes this food tastier.
• You can use a slow cooker to cook Ghormeh Sabzi. Usually, Persian dishes have a long cooking time and Ghormeh Sabzi is no exception. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to have a perfectly cooked stew.
• In order for the herbs to retain their green color, sautee them with gentle heat.
• Use sour grape juice (Ab-Ghooreh) or lemon juice for a balanced tart and tangy stew.
• It is better to soak beans overnight. Soaking the beans will reduce the time required for cooking.
• If you do not have fresh herbs available, you can also use dried herbs, but the result will definitely be different from the original Ghormeh Sabzi.

FAQs

What Is Herbs Mix (Sabzi Ghormeh)?

To make Ghormeh Sabzi, you need fresh chives(big thick chives called Tareh in Persian), parsley, cilantro, fenugreek, and spinach. Wash them with cool water and throw away any wilted or discolored leaves. Rinse in a colander, drain, and use a kitchen towel to dry them. Remove the stems and chop them finely. Add 1/3 cup vegetable oil to a large skillet and put it on medium heat. Sauté the fresh herbs for about 15-20 minutes until the veggies get a light brown color.

How Can We Cook Ghormeh Sabzi With Dried Herbs?

First, soak the dried herbs for about 10-15 minutes in warm water. Then drain the water and put the herbs inside the pan. Afterward, place the pan on the stove and use medium heat to dry out the excess water. Add oil and saute for about 5 – 10 minutes.

How to Cook Ghormeh Sabzi In Instant Pot?

Ghormeh Sabzi takes a long time to cook. If you are impatient to taste this delicious stew, you can cut down cooking time by using an instant pot. Turn your Instant Pot on Saute mode and add oil, once hot add in your onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add the meat and saute for about 10 minutes until the meat is browned. Add all remaining ingredients and water and then Lock the pressure cooker lid securely into place. Set the Instant Pot on manual for 30 minutes. Turn your Instant Pot off and release pressure.

What to Serve with Ghormeh Sabzi?

You can serve Ghormeh Sabzi with saffron rice, Tahdig, and a bowl of salad Shirazi, I love to serve this dish with a bowl of plain yogurt mixed with mint. Ghormeh Sabzi stew can be served with raw onion slices and pickles.

Did you like the Ghormeh Sabzi recipe? Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 

Looking for More Persian Recipes?

• Kookoo Sabzi Recipe
• Khoresht Karafs Recipe
• Albaloo Polo Recipe
• Mirza Ghasemi 
• Adas Polo Recipe
• Tahchin Morgh

Ghormeh Sabzi Recipe

Serves: 5 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 150 Minutes 150 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.9/5

( 37 voted )

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Ingredients

• 1 lb lamb or beef, cubed
• 3/4 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 bunches parsley
• 2 bunches cilantro
• 1 bunch of chives (green stems only)
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek (or 1/2 bunch fresh fenugreek)
• 4 dried limes (limoo amani) , or 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Soak the beans in cold water overnight and change the water a couple of times.

Step 2

Wash the herbs in cool water to remove dirt, then dry and chop finely with a sharp knife.

Step 3

In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the herbs while stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the herbs turn into a dark shade of green. Set aside.

Step 4

In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions with 2 tablespoons of oil for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 5

Add the lamb chunks, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the onions and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 6

Drain kidney beans and add them to the stew.

Step 7

Add 4-5 cups of water. Cover the pot, and bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat, and let the stew simmer gently for about 1 hour.

Step 8

After 1 hour add the fried herbs and let the stew simmer gently for another 2 hours. Check occasionally and add more water if needed.

Step 9

Pierce the dried lemons carefully with a fork. Soak them in hot water for 30 minutes to get all the bitterness out.

Step 10

Add dried limes. Taste and add salt or pepper and our grape juice (Ab-Ghooreh) or lemon juice if needed. Cook for another hour until the stew thickens up. Serve with Persian steamed saffron rice.