Ghormeh sabzi

Name: Ghormeh sabzi
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 190 min
Yield: 6 plates
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 700 g Lamb, shoulder or neck, cut into 3 cm cubes; 200 g Parsley, flat-leaf, leaves and thin stems, very finely chopped; 150 g Coriander, finely chopped; 150 g Spring onion, green parts only, finely chopped; or Persian chives; 3 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves, dried, crumbled; 150 g Kidney beans, dried, soaked overnight; or 400 g tin, drained; 4 piece Dried lime, pierced twice with a knife; 1 large Onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp Turmeric; 90 ml Neutral oil; 1 l Water; 2 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 piece Lemon, juiced, to adjust

قورمه سبزی

Iran's dark green herb stew: lamb, kidney beans and a mountain of fried herbs soured with dried limes.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: قورمه سبزی.

Start cooking

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Rest: None
Total: 3 hr 10 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: No chilli
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Ghormeh sabzi is a stew where the herbs are the main ingredient, not the garnish. Parsley, coriander, chives or spring onion greens and dried fenugreek leaves are chopped fine and fried slowly until they darken and smell almost like tea. Lamb and red kidney beans simmer with them for two hours, and pierced dried limes give the sour, slightly bitter edge that defines the dish. The colour should be deep bottle green, nearly black. Serve over chelow rice with tahdig, and let the limes be squeezed into the sauce at the table.

What you'll need

14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 14 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Lamb, shoulder or neck, cut into 3 cm cubes700 g
Parsley, flat-leaf, leaves and thin stems, very finely chopped200 g
Coriander, finely chopped150 g
Spring onion, green parts only, finely chopped; or Persian chives150 g
Dried fenugreek leaves, dried, crumbled44 ml
Kidney beans, dried, soaked overnight; or 400 g tin, drained150 g
Dried lime, pierced twice with a knife4
Onion, finely chopped1 large
Turmeric4.9 ml
Neutral oil90 ml
Water1 l
Salt9.9 ml
Black pepper2½ ml
Lemon, juiced, to adjust (optional)1

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat half the oil in a wide frying pan over medium. Add all the chopped herbs and the fenugreek. Fry, stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until the mass shrinks, darkens to deep green and smells toasty rather than grassy.
25 min
Watch: Underfried herbs give a raw, grassy stew. Burnt ones turn it bitter. Medium heat and patience.
Step 2
In a heavy pot, soften the onion in the remaining oil 8 minutes. Add turmeric, then the lamb, and brown lightly, 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
15 min
Step 3
Add the fried herbs, soaked beans (if using dried) and the water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently 90 minutes.
90 min
Step 4
Add the pierced dried limes (and tinned beans if using those). Cook 45 minutes more, partly covered, until the lamb is tender and the stew is thick and oily at the edges.
45 min
Tip: Press the limes against the side of the pot now and then to release their juice.
Step 5
Taste. Add salt, and lemon juice if it needs more sourness. Serve over basmati rice with the limes left in for people to squeeze.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 564 kcal
Protein: 35 g
Carbs: 18.5 g
Fat: 39.4 g
Saturated fat: 12 g
Fibre: 6.6 g
Sugar: 3.4 g
Sodium: 1101 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.

Gluten-free
Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.

Substitutions

Lamb → Beef chuck
Common in Iran now. Same cooking time.
Dried limes → Juice of 2 lemons added at the end
You lose the bitter, fermented depth, but the stew still works.

Tips

Frozen chopped sabzi ghormeh from an Iranian grocer is perfectly acceptable and saves an hour. Thaw and squeeze dry before frying.
This is better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat slowly.
Dried limes vary in bitterness. Start with three and add the fourth after tasting at the end.

History & culture

This is the dish Iranians abroad name first when asked what they miss. It is Friday lunch at a grandmother's house and the standard order at any Persian restaurant. Herb chopping is a family job, and frozen pre-chopped sabzi is sold in every Iranian grocer for a reason.

Herb and meat stews called khoresh have been cooked on the Iranian plateau for at least a thousand years. Ghormeh is a Turkic word for braised meat. Kidney beans arrived from the Americas and replaced older pulses by the 19th century.

Traditional — Some families use fresh fenugreek and tareh (Persian chives). Spring onion greens are the usual stand-in outside Iran.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Ghormeh sabzi take?

3 hr 10 min all in — 40 min prep, 2 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

7 more questions

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Frying pan, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Lamb → Beef chuck. Common in Iran now. Same cooking time. Dried limes → Juice of 2 lemons added at the end. You lose the bitter, fermented depth, but the stew still works.

What should I watch for?

Underfried herbs give a raw, grassy stew. Burnt ones turn it bitter. Medium heat and patience.

Any tips from this recipe?

Frozen chopped sabzi ghormeh from an Iranian grocer is perfectly acceptable and saves an hour. Thaw and squeeze dry before frying. This is better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat slowly. Dried limes vary in bitterness. Start with three and add the fourth after tasting at the end.

Can I prepare this ahead?

This is better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat slowly.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.