Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
This recipe is one of our favorites. It takes around 3 hours to make, excluding time taken to prepare the vegetables that must be chopped very finely. Though the recipe commands a hearty amount of oil to be added at the frying stage, the amount can be reduced to make a healthy and refreshing dish as well--though the oil certainly adds a considerable amount of flavour (just make sure there is enough oil in the pan to fry the vegetables without burning them). For a dish that takes so long to prepare, most of the processes in this stew are surprisingly simple--they just require a lot of patience! In the end though, it's well worth it!
| Ease of Cooking | Yummy Factor | Apprx. Cost |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
HK$110 (US$14) |
150g parsley, finely chopped
150g coriander, finely chopped100g spring onions, finely chopped50g spinach, finely finely chopped (optional)250g sirloin steak, cubed1 can kidney beans
3 limes, squeezed (or 4 tbsp lime juice)
1 dried lime
Salt, pepper and turmeric
Directions
- Combine all greens together with 2tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric in a non-stick pan. Fry on low heat until it becomes somewhat blackish. Stir occasionally, and be careful not to burn the herbs, though.
- Add beef and stir for another 5 mins.
- Transfer the mixture into a stew pot and add ½ liter of boiling water.
- Cover the pot and let it boil on low heat for an hour.
- Add lime juice and 1 tsp salt.
- Separate the kidney beans from brine and wash them thoroughly. Add to the stew.
- Continue boiling the stew for another hour. Add some boiling water.
- Pierce dried lime with a knife and sink it into stew.
- Adjust the spices to taste and let it stew for another half an hour until it reaches desired consistency (ideally, a little soupy).
- Serve with steamed rice or couscous.
