Ghormeh Sabzi
This is arguably the most popular Iranian dish out there - slow cooked meat and fragrant herbs all stewed together to make this wonderful masterpiece. I am no expert on Iranian cuisine but from my experience, growing up with several Iranian friends, I’ve become quite fond of their cuisine. It’s reminescent of what I grew up with but also so so different. Ghormeh Sabzi is one I truly love and I hope it’s something you can bring in to your home as well.
Serves: 4
Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Beef Stew Meat
1 Yellow Onion
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Black Pepper
3 Dried Limes (or dried lemon)
1 bunch Cilantro
1 bunch Parsley
1 small bunch Fresh Spinach
1 bunch Green Onion
2 tbsp Dried Fenugreek
1 can Red Kidney Beans
6 tbsp Olive Oil
4 cups Water
Instructions
First is a bit of prep work. Dice the yellow onion, grind the garlic cloves into a paste, and slice the stew meats into 1 inch pieces.
In a large heavy bottom pot, add a couple tbsp of olive oil and give it a minute or two to heat up. Drop to medium heat, add the diced onion and saute until soft (3-5 min). Next add the garlic and saute until fragrant (2 min), and last add the meat and brown all over (7-10 min). At this point season with turmeric, black pepper, and salt.
Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, partially cover, then drop to low and let it simmer for 1 hour. After an hour, poke a few holes in the dried limes. Add to the stew and partially cover again and simmer for another hour.
Take the spinach, parsley, cilantro, and green onion and mince as small as you can. Using a food processor would be a great option if you don’t want to mince by hand. Place all three in a large bowl and give it a good mix.
Place a large pan on high heat for a couple minutes then drop to medium. Add the remaining olive oil (4 tbsp) then add all greens. Saute on very low heat for about 10-15 minutes until all the water releases. For the final two minutes, add the dried fenugreek and mix well.
Pour the sauted herbs directly into the stew along with a can of red kidney beans. I like to strain and rinse the beans prior to adding to the stew. Stir everything together and if the stew looks a bit dry add a half cup of water. Partially cover and simmer for a final hour.
Plate and serve with rice and enjoy!
