The novel, To Keep the Sun Alive, by Rabbeah Ghaffari, inspired me to try a traditional Iranian herb stew called Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi. The word Khoresh comes from the verb, “khordan,” meaning “to eat,” but literally translates to “meal.” Ghormeh is derived from the Turkish word, “kavirmak” which means “to roast.” Sabzi is the Persian word for herbs.
Today, this savory stew is cooked the same way as it was hundreds of years ago, by Nomads. The meat came from their sheep, and they prepared it by using animal fats and oils. They collected herbs from both mountains and plains, and lemon juice was often added for flavoring.
While not necessarily visually pleasing, this lamb and kidney-bean herb stew was phenomenal, so much so that I intend to make it again and again. My family devoured the meal and the leftovers were delicious.
Khoresh Ghourmeh Sabzi
Ingredients:
2 lbs lamb, cubed
1 cup red kidney beans
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 green onions, green stems only, chopped
4 bunches parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1 Tbsp dried fenugreek (if you can’t find it, you can substitute it with watercress, as I did)
4 dried black limes (limoo amani) – I used 4 T lemon juice instead of the black limes
1 Tbsp turmeric
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
- Wash fresh herbs in large bowl. Dry, chop finely.
- In large skillet, heat 4 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, sautee herbs for 15 minutes; set aside.
- In large pot, sautee all chopped onions in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add lamb, turmeric, salt and pepper to onions and fry for 6-8 minutes.
- Add beans, fried herbs, and lemon juice.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then lower heat, cover, and simmer on low-to-medium heat for two hours.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add water and continue to simmer if the meat is not tender enough (I found I did not need to do this step).
- Serve over wild, Basmati or Jasmine rice for different tastes. I used wild rice.
