Best Ghormeh Sabzi Recipe | How To Cook Persian Herb Stew

Tasty Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi is considered an authentic Persian dish and a famous dried herb stew with great taste. Persian Herb Stew, Khoresh Ghormeh, or Khoresh Sabzi, are variable names for this luxurious traditional stew served with Tahdig.
Have you ever thought about the words used to call this delicate dish?! “Ghorme Sabzi” translates to “green stew” in English, a fitting name for a dish bursting with vibrant green or dried herbs.
It is a staple in Iranian cuisine and is often served with rice. Especially saffron rice. Combining aromatic herbs and tender meat or vegetables creates a unique and compelling flavor profile.
Ghorme comes from the Turkish word “Ghoorma,” which means to heat in hot oil and boiling water. It may be close to roasting, a way of cooking the meat and vegetables used in “Ghorme Sabzi.”

What Is The History of Ghormeh Sabzi?

The history of Ghormeh Sabzi is not well documented, but it is believed to have originated in ancient Persia. Ghormeh Sabzi is considered a traditional Persian dish and has been enjoyed for centuries. It is a dish passed down through generations, with each family adding their unique twist to the recipe. Despite its ancient origins, Ghormeh Sabzi remains a beloved and popular dish in Persian cuisine today. 

How to Cook The Best Ghorme Sabzi?

To cook Ghorme Sabzi, start by washing and chopping various fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, and fenugreek leaves. Heat oil in a pot and sauté diced onions until golden brown. Add the chopped herbs to the pot, stirring until fragrant. Next, add your choice of meat or substitute with beans or potato slices. Cook until the meat is browned or the potatoes are slightly tender.  Then, add water or broth to cover the pot.

To cook the saffron rice authentically, start by rinsing the rice thoroughly to remove excess starch. Then, soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes. In a separate pot, boil the water and add salt. Drain the soaked rice, then add to the boiling water. Cook until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite. Finally, drain the rice and let it sit for a few minutes before fluffing it with a fork. Serve alongside your delicious Ghorme.

Ghormeh Sabzi Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of split canola oil.
• One big, coarsely chopped yellow onion.
• One teaspoon of turmeric powder.
• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chuck roast, diced into one 1/2-inch chunks.
• 1 1/2 cups spinach, finely chopped.
• One cup of finely chopped green onions (just the green portion).
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley.
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped.
• 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped.
• 1/4 cup fenugreek leaves, finely chopped.
• 1 1/2 cups of water, or as needed.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• One lemon, freshly squeezed.
• 4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani) or as desired.
• 1 (15-ounce) can of washed and drained red kidney beans.

Recipe for Ghormeh Sabzi

1. In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. 
2. Cook and stir the onion for 10 to 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. 
3. For 1 to 2 minutes, stir in the turmeric.
4. Cook until the chuck cubes are coated with turmeric and browned on both sides, 8 to 10 mins.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a second saucepan over medium heat. 
6. Cook and stir in spinach, green onions, parsley, cilantro, chives, and fenugreek leaves until deep dark green, 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Incorporate the spinach mixture into the onion and chuck mixture. Pour in just enough water to make a slurry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the lemon juice. 
8. Reduce heat, cover, and cook stew for 1 hour or until greens soften.
9. Fork-prick dried limes and add them to the stew.
10. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the chuck is soft. Mix in the red kidney beans.
11. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the flavors meld.
12. Before serving, discard the dried limes.
13. If desired, use lamb stew meat for the chuck roast.

Related Post: How to Cook Aloo Mosama

How to Serve Gurmeh Sabzi

Gurmeh Sabzi can be served as a main dish with steamed rice or flatbread. It is traditionally garnished with fresh herbs such as cilantro or parsley and served with yogurt or pickles for added flavor. To enhance its taste and presentation, some people also drizzle it with a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

Different Cooking Tricks for Ghorme Sabzi

Khoresh Sabzi, or Persian Ghorme Sabzi, is made of fresh, healthy, and aromatic ingredients. There are many kinds of seductive variations for all food lovers. Rooted back in ancient times (no bluffing), the situation, cultures, and tastes of people have affected the herb stew dish through all these years. 

By the way, the main ingredients of the best Ghorme Sabzi have been staying still from the old ages, and considering the characteristics, it’s much more probable to start from the tribal lifestyle. 

Ghorme Sabzi generally contains leek, fenugreek, onions, kidney beans, meat, Persian Saffron rice, or Tahdig.

Never forget to soak the beans for about 8–12 hours overnight and change the water in 4-hour intervals to be baked much more quickly and bloat-free. This will ensure the kidney beans are adequately prepared before adding them to the dish.

Different oils and vegetables have been used to make this dish. In the southwest region, many people used spinach and potatoes. The vegetables in this dish are often fried and baked in water with other ingredients. 

Coriander, beetroot leaves, spinach, less-known mountain vegetables, and mint are mainly dried herbs in Ghorme Sabzi. This will give you the best result if you want the most flavorful and aromatic vegan Ghorme Sabzi dish.

Dried lime is often used in Ghorme Sabzi, and it’s sometimes substituted with lemon juice or verjuice. You must make a hole in dried lime so it won’t be open while baking because the seeds of dried lime do not taste well. 

For the regular Qorme Sabzi, the meat in this dish is lamb or beef. If you don’t like red meat, beans can be the best item to compensate for the nutritious value of it. Even potato slices can be substituted for meat.

You should be aware of different allergies, but black pepper, turmeric, dried mint, thyme, and curry powder can be your choices.

What Pairs With Ghormeh Sabzi?

Dressed Persian stew and rice are always a magnificent choice. Usually, saffron rice is served along with delicate Ghorme Sabzi. 

Also, instead of the full-sugar desserts of the West, Persians use healthy side dishes with no preservatives, such as various pickles, raw vegetables, onions, nuts (here dried lime), mint, pickled cucumber, yogurt, Doogh (a Persian traditional drink), salad, etc.

The best appetizer before having Ghorme Sabzi would be Mirza Qasemi, which is smoked eggplants, eggs, tomatoes, and a pinch of garlic served with pickled vegetables. The recommended dessert afterward would be fragrant Persian tea.

Want to know more about meat-based recipes? Well, you can take a look at Gheyme Bademjan.

Moreover, after learning how to cook Ghorme Sabzi at home on this blog, we have the most significant opportunities for all food lovers. Naaz cuisine has managed to cook and provide a delicate, authentic taste of many Persian dishes, such as the magical Ghormeh Sabzi stew, with many other tasty side dishes in the heart of Adelaide. Food lovers can experience the authentic flavors of Persian cuisine without leaving the city.

If you haven’t tried us yet, it’s now the time. Naaz Restaurant will be your tasty memories companion.