Ghormeh Sabzi

★★★★4.9· 543 ratings

·Serves 4

About this Dish

Iran's most beloved stew and widely considered the national dish — a deeply complex herb stew of fenugreek, parsley, coriander and dried limes cooked with kidney beans and lamb for hours until intensely fragrant. The dried limes (limu omani) give it a unique sour depth found nowhere else in world cuisine.

IngredientsServes 4

🥩Lamb shoulder, 600g cut into 4cm chunks

🌿Fresh parsley, 200g finely chopped

🌿Fresh fenugreek leaves, 150g finely chopped (or 3 tbsp dried fenugreek)

🌿Fresh coriander, 100g finely chopped

🍋Dried limes (limu omani), 4 whole, pierced several times with a skewer

🫘Dried kidney beans, 200g soaked overnight and drained

🧅Large onion, 1 finely diced

🫒Vegetable oil, 4 tbsp

🌿Turmeric, 1 tsp

🧂Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and fry the onion until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes — this caramelisation is the flavour foundation of the stew, so don't rush it. Add the turmeric, stir for 30 seconds, then add the lamb chunks and brown well on all sides.

In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium heat and fry all the chopped herbs together, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until they turn very dark green and smell intensely fragrant. This slow-frying of the herbs is the soul of ghormeh sabzi and cannot be skipped.

Add the fried herbs to the lamb pot along with the soaked kidney beans, pierced dried limes, and enough water to cover everything by about 3cm (roughly 600–800ml). Stir well to combine everything.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer, cover with a lid slightly ajar, and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The stew should turn very dark and the lamb should be completely tender and falling apart.

After 2 hours, taste and season generously with salt and black pepper — ghormeh sabzi needs confident seasoning. Gently press the dried limes against the side of the pot with a spoon to squeeze out their sour juice, adding a wonderful tangy depth.

If the stew looks too thin, uncover and let it simmer for a further 20–30 minutes until it thickens to a rich, dark, almost jammy consistency. It should never be watery — the herbs should feel dense and the oil will naturally rise to the surface, which is a sign it is perfectly cooked.

Serve hot over steamed saffron rice (chelow), and let the stew rest for at least 10 minutes off the heat before serving — like all great stews, it tastes even better the next day.

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