Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi
Local name : قورمه سبزی
A long-simmered herb stew, dark and tangy, built on kidney beans, mushrooms and sour dried black limes.
Photo : Amin Majidi · CC0
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 145 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Chop all the herbs very finely. Fry them in 4 tbsp of the oil over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often, until they darken and smell deep and savoury.
- In a casserole, soften the sliced onions in the remaining oil, add the turmeric and let it cook for 1 minute.
- Cut the mushrooms into large quarters and brown them with the onions for 8 minutes, until their water has cooked away.
- Pierce the dried limes twice each with a knife tip and add them with the fried herbs and 700 ml water.
- Cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour, then stir in the kidney beans and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes.
- Season, and press the limes against the side of the pan to release more juice if you want extra sourness. Serve with basmati rice.
Ghormeh sabzi is Iran’s national dish, and its near-black colour comes from patiently fried herbs, not burnt ones. The dried limes give a fermented bitterness that fresh lemon cannot imitate.
