I can tell you that Ghormeh Sabzi is one of the most beloved Persian dishes. Even if we can not give the first place to this fragrant stew, we can consider it among the top three. The smell of this traditional Iranian stew will make your mouth water. Slowly cooked to perfection with the aroma of herbs like parsley, coriander, and fenugreek paired with a plate of saffron rice.

What do You Need To Make Ghormeh Sabzi?

In traditional Iranian cuisine, you can find a long list of names of various stews. Like celery stew, eggplant stew, spinach and plum stew, okra stew, etc. The use of different ingredients and special flavors makes each of these dishes have its own flavor and aroma. Persian herb stew is a combination of meat, herbs, 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 mutton or lamb. Lamb has more fat content than beef, and this is what makes Iranian stew more delicious.
• Herbs: The herb combination of 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, but in some regions of Iran it is also cooked with pinto beans and black-eyed peas.
• Spices: The spices used in this stew are turmeric, black pepper, salt, dried lime, and a little brewed saffron for more aroma.

Instructions

• Wash the herbs in a large bowl, 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 for about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally. 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.
• Add the soaked and drained beans, the fried herbs, and the dried limes.
• Cover with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Then, lower the heat, cover, and simmer on low to medium heat for about 2.5 hours.
• Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. Add water and continue to simmer if the meat is not tender enough.
• Serve with Persian steamed saffron rice.

How to Cook Ghormeh Sabzi Like a Pro?

• Using lamb makes this food tastier.
• Adding salt during the first stages of cooking this stew increases the cooking time, so remember to add salt in the final stages of cooking.
• 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 they have to cook drastically.
• If you do not have fresh herbs available, you can also use dried herbs, but the result will definitely be different from the original Ghorme Sabzi.

Herbs Combination

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 20 minutes until the veggies get a light brown color.

Calories in Ghormeh Sabzi

Each serving of herb stew has about 270 calories. But, since it is usually served with white rice, 200 extra calories would be added to our receiving energy.

How Can We Cook Ghormeh Sabzi With Dried Herbs?

At 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.

Vegan Ghormeh Sabzi Recipe

• To begin, just remove the meat from the cooking process.
• Cook the red bean and drain it.
• pour 2 glasses of water into the pot and let it boil.
• Then chop the herbs, onion, and mushroom (If you would like), add them to beans, reduce the heat and add salt, pepper, turmeric except for saffron and let it cook.
• After the cooking process is completed you can add the bloomed saffron and dried lime, mix them and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

Instant Pot Ghormeh Sabzi

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
• Sholeh Zard Recipe
• Adas Polo Recipe

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