Persian Ghormeh Sabzi with Sour Herbs
Ghormeh sabzi begins by frying a mix of parsley, coriander, leek and fenugreek leaf until the colour darkens, then adding lamb, red kidney beans and pierced black limes and simmering for two hours. Frying the herbs properly is the step that makes the dish.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 145 min
- Calories
- 470
Photo: Edsel Little — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ghormeh sabzi is Iran's national dish and by far the best-known khoresh. Its distinctive sourness comes from dried black lime, and its deep dark colour comes from frying the herbs patiently.
Method
-
1
Fry the herbs
Fry the chopped herbs and fenugreek leaves in half the oil over medium heat for fifteen minutes, stirring, until the colour darkens and the smell shifts from grassy to deep and savoury. This is the single most important step.
⏱ 15 min -
2
Brown the lamb
In a separate pot, soften the onion in the remaining oil, add the turmeric, then the lamb, and stir until the meat has colour on all sides.
⏱ 10 min -
3
Simmer long
Add the fried herbs, the beans, the pierced limes, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover by three fingers. Cover and simmer gently for two hours.
⏱ 120 min -
4
Finish and check
After ninety minutes, press the limes against the side of the pot with a spoon to release their sourness. Adjust the salt, and cook on until oil rises to the surface — the sign a khoresh is ready.
-
5
Serve
Serve with fluffy Persian saffron rice and a piece of the crisp tahdig from the bottom of the pan.
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Tips that actually matter
- The herbs must fry until visibly darker. Fresh, under-fried herbs leave a raw grassy taste through the whole stew.
- Pierce the black limes with a fork, otherwise they never release their sourness.
- Oil floating on the surface is not a fault — it is the traditional sign that the khoresh has cooked long enough.
People also ask
I can't find dried black lime.
Use ordinary dried lime plus a spoonful of lemon juice at the end. The result is lighter but perfectly good.
Mine turned bitter.
Either a lime broke open inside the pot or the herbs scorched. Press the limes from outside only, and fry the herbs on medium, never high heat.
Can I use chicken?
You can, though it is not traditional. Cut the cooking time to an hour and add the chicken after the herbs.
Cook mode
Persian Ghormeh Sabzi with Sour Herbs
-
1
Fry the herbs
Fry the chopped herbs and fenugreek leaves in half the oil over medium heat for fifteen minutes, stirring, until the colour darkens and the smell shifts from grassy to deep and savoury. This is the single most important step.
-
2
Brown the lamb
In a separate pot, soften the onion in the remaining oil, add the turmeric, then the lamb, and stir until the meat has colour on all sides.
-
3
Simmer long
Add the fried herbs, the beans, the pierced limes, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover by three fingers. Cover and simmer gently for two hours.
-
4
Finish and check
After ninety minutes, press the limes against the side of the pot with a spoon to release their sourness. Adjust the salt, and cook on until oil rises to the surface — the sign a khoresh is ready.
-
5
Serve
Serve with fluffy Persian saffron rice and a piece of the crisp tahdig from the bottom of the pan.
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