Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi – Beef and Fresh Herb Stew (Edit recipe)

This is Ghormeh Sabzi, by many accounts Iran’s national dish! Yes, there are Fesenjoon, Khoresht-e Bademjan, and Zereshk Polo, and a myriad of other stews and rice dishes, not to mention a long list of Kebabs. But there is something so very special about Ghormeh Sabzi. To learn about this dish is to learn some of the very specific nuances of Persian culture, tradition, and cuisine.

30 minutes

1 hour and 50 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	724
Fat:	44 g
Carbohydrates:	40 g
Protein:	54 g
Cholesterol:	96 g
Sodium:	685 mg
Fiber:	11 g
Sugars:	3 g
Calculated per serving.

by The Caspian Chef

View original recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Kidney Beans

.667 cup Kidney Beans, dried, soaked overnight
4 cups Water

Stew

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, (diced)
2 cloves Garlic, (minced)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
.5 tsp Black Pepper, ground
1.5 lb Stew Beef, (cut into 1 inch pieces)
3 cups Water, (divided)
1 tsp Salt, (adjust as needed)
4 Limu Omani (Persian Dried Lime), poked several times with a paring knife
2-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh

Sabzi (herbs)

6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (more as needed)
2 cups Parsley, finely chopped (about 4 bunches)
1 cup Cilantro, finely chopped (about 2 bunches)
1 cup Leek, scallions or, (finely chopped (about 14 scallion stems or 1 small leek))
.25 cup Spinach, (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves

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Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Kidney beans

In a medium sized pot, bring the kidney beans and water to a boil and remove any foam that may rise to the surface.
Reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 hour or until the beans are fully cooked and soft.
Rinse and set aside.

Stew

In a large pot, saute the onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Add garlic, turmeric and ground pepper, and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the beef to the pan and toss to coat the beef with the spices and onion. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Sabzi (herbs)

While the beef and beans are cooking, prepare the herbs by first washing and then lightly drying them between two layers of clean towels. Remove the tougher ends of the stems, about 2 inches from the bottom, and discard.
Place the herbs one at a time in a food processor and pulse until a fine chop has been achieved. Collect, measure and place in a separate bowl.
In a large frying pan saute the chopped herbs for 5 minutes in 6 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently .
Reduce the heat to medium-low as you continue to stir the herbs for another 15 minutes. This is the most intricate part of this dish. The herbs need to begin to dry out while slowly getting cooked and developing a darker color and aroma. Take care not to burn the herbs.
Remove from the heat and set aside.

Stew (continued)

Once the beef has been cooking for 45 minutes, add 1 additional cup of water, the cooked and rinsed beans, the herbs, salt, Limu Omani and lemon juice. Stir.
Bring the stew back to a simmer before lowering the flame and continuing to cook over low heat, covered, for 45 additional minutes.
Adjust the stew by adding a small amount of water if needed. Keep in mind that this stew should be moist but not watery.
Taste and adjust the stew for seasoning. Add more salt or lemon juice as needed.
Turn the heat off and allow the stew to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve the stew with Persian saffron steamed basmati rice, a side of yogurt, or pickled eggplants.

Notes

It is traditional to cook the beans in the stew, but I prefer to cook them separately and then add them in the final stages of cooking the stew. Alternatively, a good quality can of ready-cooked kidney beans can be used. Black eyed peas can also be substituted. This dish can be made with lamb or chicken instead of beef. To make this dish vegan, simply eliminate the beef and incorporate vegetables such as carrots and mushrooms to the stew. Keyword beans, beef, herbs, Limoo Omani, stew Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!