The usual name is Ghormeh sabzi. This Iranian khoresh, or stew, gets its character from cooked herbs and the distinctive tartness of dried lime. Families and regions vary the beans and the use of fenugreek. Our home-kitchen version uses a casserole and no tomatoes. The herbs should become part of the sauce rather than remain a raw garnish.
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Food · International
Ghormeh sabzi: an Iranian stew built around herbs
Chopped herbs, beef, kidney beans and dried lime come together in a slow-cooked version of the much-loved Iranian stew.
2026-10-27 · Editorial staff · Estimated reading time: 2 min
Queen of Queens · Food
The recipe
Iran
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 150 min
- Rest / waiting
- 0 min
- Total time
- 180 min
- Estimated calories per serving
- 390 kcal
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients and quantities
- 500 g trimmed stewing beef, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 240 g cooked, drained kidney beans
- 150 g onion
- 150 g parsley, 80 g coriander and 70 g green spring onion tops, trimmed
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 food-grade dried Persian limes (limoo amani)
- 30 g mild olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 700–900 ml hot water; salt and black pepper
Method
- Wash, thoroughly dry and finely chop the herbs. Rinse and pierce the dried limes, soak in hot water for 15 minutes and drain.
- Heat 15 g oil in a casserole. Soften the chopped onion for 6–8 minutes, add the beef and brown it. Stir in turmeric and pepper, then add 700 ml hot water.
- In a separate pan, cook the herbs in the remaining oil for 12–15 minutes, stirring until dark but not burnt. Add fenugreek for the final minute, then transfer to the casserole.
- Partly cover and simmer for about 90 minutes. Add the limes and cooked beans; cook for another 30–45 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender. Allow longer if needed and top up with a little water.
- Season at the end. Remove the limes before serving, or point out that they contain seeds. Plain basmati rice is an optional accompaniment and is not included in the calorie estimate.
Tips and variations
Start with fully cooked beans; soaking and cooking dried beans are not included in these timings. A little lemon juice added at the end is a fallback if dried lime is unavailable, but it will taste different.
Allergens
Check spice blends for added ingredients.
Sources and further reading
- Persian Mama — Ghormeh sabzi e varianti familiari
- https://persianmama.com/persian-herb-stew-ghormeh-sabzi-sabzi-ghorma/
Calories are estimates per serving and vary with ingredients, brands and actual quantities. Times are approximate; the total includes the stated resting time.
