Iran's beloved herb stew, dark green from long-cooked greens and sour with dried limes, served over saffron rice.
The national stew
Ghormeh sabzi is routinely named as Iran's favourite dish, and it occupies a place in Persian cooking comparable to a national emblem. It belongs to the family of Iranian stews known as khoresh, served over rice rather than as a standalone bowl.
Its defining characteristic is a very large quantity of fresh herbs, cooked down until they lose all brightness and turn almost black-green. The transformation is the point: raw-tasting herbs indicate an underdone stew.
Persian cooking's fondness for sour flavours runs through it, and here the sourness comes from limoo amani — limes that have been boiled and dried until hard and dark, then pierced or crushed and simmered whole in the pot.
Herbs, beans and lamb
The herb mixture is typically parsley, coriander and chives or leek greens in quantity, along with fenugreek leaves. Fenugreek is used sparingly but is essential to the characteristic aroma, and too much makes the stew bitter.
The herbs are chopped fine and fried patiently in oil until darkened and fragrant — a stage that can take a considerable time and cannot be hurried without losing the depth that defines the dish.
Lamb or beef is browned with onion and turmeric, red kidney beans are added, and everything simmers together for hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has darkened and thickened.
At the table
It is served with chelow, Persian steamed rice, ideally with tahdig — the prized golden crust formed at the bottom of the rice pot, which is lifted out in pieces and fought over.
The dried limes are usually left in the pot. They soften as they cook and can be pressed against the side to release more of their intense, slightly bitter sourness; some diners eat them, many do not.
Like most khoresh it improves overnight, and it is commonly cooked in large quantities for family gatherings.
