Ghormeh Sabzi

Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb and Lamb Stew)

A slow-simmered Persian stew of caramelised mixed herbs, tender lamb, creamy kidney beans and the unmistakable tang of dried Persian limes, served over basmati rice. Tart, deeply savoury and herbaceous, it is widely considered the national dish of Iran.

Prep

40 min

Cook

150 min

Total

190 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 3 cm cubes, bone-in lamb neck adds more flavour if preferred
• •30 g (1 oz) dried red kidney beans, see safety note in steps
• •450 g (1 lb) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems
• •225 g (½ lb) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• •110 g (¼ lb) fresh chives or Persian tareh (leek greens), chopped, Persian tareh is traditional if available
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh fenugreek leaves, or 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves; do not substitute with fenugreek seeds
• •180 ml (¾ cup) vegetable oil, traditionally a generous amount is used for frying the herbs
• •2 whole medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• •1 tsp ground turmeric
• •1 tsp ground black pepper
• •3 whole dried Persian limes (limoo amani), pierce each with a knife tip before adding; do not substitute with fresh lime juice alone
• •1 whole small cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, optional, but classic in many family recipes
• •750 ml (3 cups) hot water or low-sodium beef stock
• •10 g (1 tbsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes, for serving

Steps

1. 1 SAFETY FIRST — KIDNEY BEANS: Sort and rinse 30 g (1 oz) dried kidney beans. Cover with plenty of cold water and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, then drain. Place soaked beans in a pot, cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer 35–50 minutes until just tender but not falling apart. They will finish cooking in the stew. Never add raw or under-boiled kidney beans directly to the stew; undercooked beans are toxic.
2. 2 PREPARE THE HERBS: Wash and thoroughly dry the parsley, cilantro, chives and fenugreek. Finely chop all herbs together (a mezzaluna or food processor pulsed a few times works well). Traditional cooking insists on hand-chopping for the right texture, but a quick pulse is an acceptable home-kitchen shortcut.
3. 3 FRY THE HERBS: Heat 180 ml (¾ cup) vegetable oil in a large, wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped herbs and a pinch of salt. Fry, stirring often, for 12–18 minutes until the herbs are very dark green, glossy and reduced by roughly half. This step is essential for the deep, complex flavour; do not rush it. Transfer fried herbs to a bowl and set aside.
4. 4 BROWN THE MEAT AND ONIONS: In the same pot, add 2 finely chopped onions and 1 tsp turmeric and cook 8–10 minutes until deeply golden. Push onions aside, add the lamb in a single layer and sear on all sides, about 6–8 minutes total.
5. 5 BUILD THE STEW: Return the fried herbs to the pot along with 1 tsp black pepper and 1 small cinnamon stick if using. Add the pre-cooked kidney beans and 3 pierced dried Persian limes. Pour in 750 ml (3 cups) hot water or stock, season with about 10 g (1 tbsp) salt, and stir.
6. 6 SIMMER: Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender and the stew has thickened to a rich, oily consistency. Taste and adjust salt.
7. 7 FINAL DONENESS CUE: The stew is ready when lamb yields easily to a fork (internal temperature of at least 85 °C / 185 °F) and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. The limes should have softened and released their tang.
8. 8 REMOVE LIME STALKS: Fish out the dried limes and cinnamon stick. Some cooks mash a lime into the stew for extra tang; leave them whole for a milder, more traditional flavour.
9. 9 COOK THE RICE: While the stew finishes, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drain 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) soaked basmati rice and add to the water. Boil 6–8 minutes until rice is parboiled but still firm at the core. Drain and return to the pot. Cover with a tight lid (or clean tea towel under the lid) and steam on the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes.
10. 10 SERVE: Mound a generous portion of fluffy basmati on each plate and ladle the ghormeh sabzi alongside, making sure every serving gets a piece of lamb, some kidney beans and a wedge of dried lime. Serve with plain yogurt, fresh herbs, sliced raw onion and warm flatbread.