Gormeh Sabzi (Persian Lamb and Herb Stew)
Did you know that gormeh sabzi is a traditional meat and herb stew that dates back to ancient Persia? This dish has been passed down from generation to generation and is made all over the world today.
The combination of herbs, meat, and dried limes creates a stew that is both tangy and earthy. This hearty stew is served with white or saffron rice, along with pickled garlic and Greek yogurt. In this blog, I have a Persian sweet bread or gata recipe that is a great dessert to follow up this dish.
Typically, gormeh sabzi is prepared for special occasions and gatherings, including holidays like Nowruz (Persian New Year). Tradition, hospitality, and the warmth of family gatherings are what this dish symbolizes in Persian culture.
During her last visit, my mother-in-law lovingly cooked this dish for my husband and me many times. She taught us how to make it, and we can now recall this dish from memory. Like many Persian dishes, this savory meal takes a little while to make, but is well worth the wait. You can purchase dried herbs like fenugreek, parsley, and leek here: Tavazo. It is a brand that our family trusts and uses a lot when we can’t find what we need stateside.
Baking Tip: Frequently check on this dish. I usually set an interval timer every 10-20 minutes while it simmers. I recommend tasting as you go to ensure the salt and ghee ratio is to your liking.
Ingredients:
200 g (1 cup) pinto beans
600 g (1.25 lbs) cubed lamb meat
1 large white onion
15 g (1 cup) dried parsley
60 g (2 cups) dried leek
25 g (1/4 cup) dried fenugreek
240 g (1 cup) ghee
4.5 g (1/2 tbsp) turmeric
6 g (1 tsp) salt
5 Persian limes
Copious amount of water
Directions:
Fully submerge 1 cup of pinto beans in water overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer to a large pot on the stove. Add 600 grams of cubed, boneless lamb meat and 1 large, peeled, and quartered onion. Fill the pot with water until the ingredients are covered by 1 inch.
Turn on medium-low heat and let sit on stove with lid partially covered for 2 hours. Every once in a while scrape excess froth from the top and discard.
While waiting on meat to cook, blend 1 cup of dried parsley, 2 cups of dried leek, and 1/4 cup of dried fenugreek. Blitz for 15-20 seconds until finely powdered. Transfer the powder to a bowl, fully submerge it in water, and mix with a spoon until the water is fully incorporated.
After 1 hour, drain mixture with fine-mesh strainer. Squeeze out excess water from green paste with hands. Place in a large frying pan. Turn on medium-low heat until water has evaporated from mixture.
On low heat, slowly incorporate 3/4 cup of ghee into the green paste mixture, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Lightly fry the mixture, paying attention to the texture and smell. The mixture should darken in color. Carefully monitor to avoid burning; this step typically takes 5-10 minutes.
On medium heat, add a final 1/4 cup of ghee and 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric to frying pan mixture; this step take a few minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
Get 5 dried Persian limes out. Leave two whole. Cut the other 3 in half, remove the insides, discard seeds as well as shell and set aside.
Test one bean from large pot with lamb/onion/water mixture, if you can squish it between two fingers– it’s ready. Remove onions from large pot– leave the water and lamb. Add the green mixture from frying pan along with 5 Persian limes. Add 1 tsp of salt (or more to taste) and mix together thoroughly.
On medium heat, cover fully with lid and let cook for 45 minutes to one hour. Serve over white rice.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”