Khoresh-e Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb, Bean and Lamb Stew)

Here are some tips from me and my mom, who makes the most delicious ghormeh sabzee in the world: *Use less cilantro or leave it out altogether. I use 8 bunches of parsley and maybe one of cilantro. *Use more fenugreek. I use 4 tablespoons of dried fenugreek (which is more fragrant than fresh). *Use more dried limes. I use 8 and I puncture them with a fork before putting them in. *Cooking the meat and beans in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes cuts cooking time way down. Enjoy!

Any substitutes for the Persian limes? Or where to get them?

Please do not use dill in ghormeh sabzi. sincerely, your friendly neighborhood iranian woman.

The dried lime is available on Amazon under "limu amani" or "limu omani".

This is fantastic. Two additions: a splash of pomegranate molasses, and fresh pomegranate seeds to garnish. Omani limes are key to the flavor---seek them out if you can (but if you just can't find them, the juice of a lime would probably work OK). Definitely make tahdig---I used the Splendid Table approach (just rice) in a cast iron skillet with olive oil as the fat. So easy, so good.

Where would one find the limes?

You can use dried Persian lime powder instead of whole dried limes. A squeeze of fresh lemon over the plated stew at the end brightens up the flavor. Definitely don’t use fresh supermarket lime. Spinach can be added if you would like more greens in the dish. But fenugreek and dill are essential. This a very hard dish to mess up, but absolutely wonderful. With tahdig one of my all time favorites.

You can use either, but dried fenugreek, usually available in South Asian groceries under the name “kasoori methi” (in a yellow box), works perfectly well and is often used even when fresh fenugreek is available because you don’t have to cook it down and using dried fenugreek doesn’t change the flavor profile of the dish. I would say using fresh dill is much more important.

Is dill missing from the ingredients list? I don't see it there.

I’ve never in my life soaked kidney beans, and I lived ;)

If the dry limes are floating, you can take them out, poke with a fork in a few places and/or gently press down on a plate. Then return to the stew.

If you're using chicken, here is a suggestion: change the herb mixture to 50% dill, 50% the rest of the mix. And, saute copious amounts of garlic (half a bulb or one whole) with the herbs.

Before making this recipe, I was a bit skeptical of the 30 min soaking time for kidney beans, but trusted NYT. Kidney beans in particular contain high amts of phytohaemagglutinin, and can cause vomiting and diarrhea if not prepared properly. The US FDA recommends soaking for 5 hours+ and cooking at 212F for 30 minutes (simmering temps are below this). Anyway, everyone in my household had horrible stomach pains for a few hours after. Why promote a recipe that flouts basic kitchen safety?

I have made this with chicken as well. Less cooking time is required with chicken, of course.

I made this without the Omani lines or saffron, and with fenugreek seed instead of leaves because that’s what I had on hand. Added some grocery store lime juice at the end. It may not have been traditional, but it was a flavorful, complex, tender, satisfying dish. Made with rice, and the mast-o khiar (yogurt sauce) and salad-e shirazi (cucumber salad) from the same feature, both also with modifications for simplicity. What a wonderful meal!