Ghormeh Sabzi

An Iranian herb, beef and kidney-bean stew brightened with dried Persian lime.

Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 2 hr 15 min · Total: 2 hr 40 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 500 g beef chuck — cut into 3 cm cubes
• 400 g fresh ghormeh sabzi herb blend — about 200 g parsley, 100 g coriander, 80 g chives or green leek tops and 20 g fenugreek leaves
• 300 g canned kidney beans, drained — rinsed and drained; do not substitute raw kidney beans without a separate safe-boiling procedure
• 3 pc dried Persian limes — pierced several times and soaked 10 minutes
• 2 pc yellow onions — finely diced
• 45 ml neutral cooking oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 750 ml hot water or unsalted beef stock
• 1.5 tsp fine salt — divided
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Measure and prepare safely

   Cut the beef into 3 cm cubes and keep it refrigerated. Finely dice the onions. Rinse and drain the canned kidney beans. Finely chop the herbs; use roughly 200 g parsley, 100 g coriander, 80 g chives or green leek tops and 20 g fenugreek leaves. Rinse and dry the herbs before chopping. Pierce each dried lime several times with a skewer and soak it in hot water for 10 minutes. Use separate utensils for raw beef and washed herbs, then wash hands and work surfaces.

2. Brown the onions and beef

   Heat 25 ml oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onions with half the salt for 8–10 minutes until golden. Stir in the turmeric and pepper for 30 seconds. Pat the beef dry, add it without splashing and brown for 6–8 minutes, turning the cubes. Keep the pot handle inward and wash any utensil or plate that touched raw beef.

   The onions are golden and the beef is browned on several sides.

3. Sauté the herb mixture

   While the beef browns, heat the remaining 20 ml oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped herbs and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until wilted, darker green and aromatic but not black or scorched. Scrape the herbs into the beef pot.

   The herbs are wilted, dark green and aromatic without blackening.

4. Build and simmer the stew

   Add the drained dried limes and 750 ml hot water or stock. Bring just to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Start the preserved 42-minute timer as the first check point. Stir once or twice, then continue simmering as needed for 45–75 minutes longer, until the beef is nearly fork-tender; add a little hot water if the ingredients are no longer mostly submerged.

   The stew holds a gentle simmer and the beef is nearly fork-tender.

   First simmer check: 2520 seconds

5. Add the beans and finish the sauce

   Stir in the drained canned kidney beans. Simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes until the beef is tender, the beans are hot throughout and the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Press a lime gently against the pot side to release more flavor, but do not crush the bitter seeds. Add the remaining salt gradually after tasting.

   The beef is tender, beans are steaming and the sauce lightly coats a spoon.

6. Check tenderness, temperature and balance

   Check a large beef cube in the center of the pot: it must be fork-tender and at least 63°C, followed by a 3-minute rest; the long simmer will normally take it well above this minimum. The beans must be steaming hot and the sauce fluid but not watery, with a fragrant herb-and-lime balance and no scorched smell. If the beef is firm, simmer 10 minutes and recheck; if the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered.

   The beef is fork-tender and at least 63°C; the sauce is not watery and nothing smells scorched.

7. Rest, serve and store safely

   Remove the dried limes if a milder flavor is preferred. Rest the covered stew off the heat for 5 minutes, then divide into 4 portions and serve hot, traditionally with Persian rice. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat only once to at least 74°C throughout; discard food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

   A reheated portion reaches at least 74°C throughout.

Tips

• Frying the chopped herbs patiently develops the stew’s characteristic deep aroma; dark green is desirable, black is burnt.
• Ghormeh sabzi often tastes rounder after a short rest or the next day, provided it is cooled and refrigerated safely.

Common mistakes

• Boiling hard can toughen the beef and evaporate the liquid before it becomes tender.
• Crushing dried-lime seeds can make the stew unpleasantly bitter.

Substitutions

• Lamb shoulder may replace beef chuck in the same weight; cook until tender and verify at least 63°C with a 3-minute rest.

Storage

Cool promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat only once, stirring so the stew heats evenly, to at least 74°C throughout.

About this recipe

Ghormeh sabzi is a well-known Iranian khoresh whose character comes from slowly cooked herbs, beans and the tart perfume of dried Persian lime.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.