persian stew

Ghormeh Sabzi is an incredibly delicious Persian stew that is served over steamed basmati rice. It has tender cooked meat in intensely fragrant, rich and lemon herb gravy along with kidney beans. Popularly known as the national dish of Iran, this stew is packed with protein and fiber.

Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)

parsley (fresh)

cilantro (fresh)

onions

fenugreek leaves

olive oil

onions (yellow, large, sliced thinly)

lamb

turmeric

tsp ground black pepper (ground)

salt (to taste)

kidney beans (dried (soaked overnight))

limes (dried, whole)

lime powder

Rinse the herbs and drain well. Chop herbs very finely.Tip: Spin herbs in a salad spinner or pat dry.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a cooking pot at medium setting. Sauté onions until light golden brown.

Add meat, turmeric, black pepper and brown it a little. Then add some salt and 3 cups water and bring it to a boil.

Lower the heat, add the drained beans and simmer for 30 mins.Tip: Cook longer if using beef.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the herbs and sauté for  20 to 25 minutes until you can smell the aroma of sautéed herbs. Make sure to stir in between.

Then add sautéed herbs and simmer the stew for  30 minutes.

Next, add the pierced dried limes and simmer for another 30 to 60 minutes  until the meat and beans are tender.Tip:  Add dried lime powder or lime juice in the last half hour adjusting as per your taste.

The stew should be thick and not runny. Adjust the consistency, salt, lime and other seasonings.

Serve Ghormeh Sabzi hot with steamed rice.

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor!

Fesenjan -Persian Stew with Walnuts and Pomegranate

walnuts

1-1 ½ pounds chicken thighs

salt and pepper

yellow onion, diced

garlic, rough chopped

cumin

cinnamon (optional)

cinnamon

nutmeg

black pepper

orange zest

chicken stock

pomegranate molasses or syrup (or make your own- see notes)

maple

salt

chickpeas

serve with saffron infused rice

Garnish- chopped Italian parsley and pomegranate seeds

Heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat and toast the walnuts, stirring every couple minutes, until golden, roughly 10 minutes.  At the same time, chop the onions and garlic. Cut the chicken ( if using)  into 1 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Drain and rinse chickpeas if using.

Set toasted walnuts on a plate to cool. Then place in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Wipe out the Dutch oven and drizzle with a little oil and sear the chicken until golden. Set aside. Using the same pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, golden and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 3-4 more minutes. When onion garlic mixture is deeply golden, add the cinnamon stick, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and orange zest, and toast for 1-2 more minutes.

Add the broth, sraping up any browned bits. Add pomegranate molasses, maple syrup,  and 1 ½ teaspoons salt, the seared chicken, ground walnuts and bring to a boil, stirring.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes, covered, stirring every 15 mins.

 Uncover, add chickpeas, and continue simmering until the stew has thickened and reduced,  10-15 more minutes, stirring.

Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.

Serve with saffron-infused basmati rice, quinoa, or Persian Rice.

Sounds yummy, could one substitute honey for the maple syrup in both the pomegranate molasses reduction and the maple syrup?

My friend made this last night &amp; it was delicious!  I’ve never had anything like it.  The flavors were complex... warm, comforting base &amp; the pomegranate seeds added just the right pop!  It’s June, so I was surprised she was able to find pomegranate.  She made her own pom syrup (per instructions).  She used chickpeas &amp; cauliflower (vegetarian option), and the only thing we would have done differently is add the cauliflower later, so it doesn’t get over-cooked.   Served with sourdough toast.  
I will definitely make this again.  I’m excited to share it with others!

I used to have a recipe that used Cranberry Jelly instead of the Pomegranate Molasses.  It was wonderful, but I can't seem to find it now - you could try substituting that and see what happens.

I loved this.
I have to admit that I did reduce the amount of walnuts ... but it still was great.  I am a great fan of pomegranate molasses ... it is such a rich favour.

Your spicing and

This was super good! I'd recommend putting a tiny bit more salt just since it's so sweet. And I'd also cook it longer so it's more of a stew than a soup. But still very nice! I took pictures but just noticed there's no place to share lol oops!

This is incredible! We followed the recipe exactly with our own homemade pomegranate molasses and using both chickpeas and chicken. The stew was wonderful on the taste tests, but once the pomegranate seeds were added on the plate, it really popped!

Would this work for lamb chunks too? If so, would you do anything different with the spice mixture?

Authentic Persian or not, it was so damn good.
Mine did not get as dark and camel colored like the pictures.
Any advise for next time?

The listed amount for salt was WAY Too much. Better to add to taste.
Also, the orange peel is not -in my experience- in anyway Persian. I tried it but probably will leave it out in the future.

Love, love love this recipe!
We subbed lentils and butter beans for the chicken and chickpeas to make it vegetarian and it was perrrrfect!
So rich and delicious!

Thanks so much for posting this recipe.  It was perfect!  I shared some with my neighbors who said they were "literally snorting it down".  My spouse has already served himself a portion for breakfast and put it in the fridge.  I skipped the maple and added 30% more of the pomegranate molasses (store bought).  Next time I'll blitz the walnuts a bit longer- mine weren't as creamy as yours.  My friend just survived breast cancer and has switched to a vegan diet and I can't WAIT to make the vegan option for her with chickpeas and cauliflower florets.  Thanks again!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/jTSE4KES.mp4

The EASIEST way to cut and deseed a pomegranate with a simple video tutorial. Once you try it this way, you’ll be hooked! Easy, convenient and fast, and way more affordable than buying pomegranate seeds! 

how to cut a Pomegranate!

Ghormeh Sabzi is a traditional Persian herb stew and one of the most popular dishes in Persian cuisine. It has a blend of herbs and usually meat, however I&#39;ve made an authentic vegetarian version which tastes just as delicious!

Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Herb Stew (Authentic Meat-Free)

parsley

cilantro/coriander - 1 cup chopped

spinach

green onions / scallions (green part only)

onion

turmeric powder

vegetable broth

extra virgin olive oil

red kidney beans

cremini mushrooms

lemon juiced

limes

Salt and black pepper

*Optional good pinch of ground saffron

Finely chop the parsley leaves, cilantro/coriander (including the stems), spinach and the green parts of the green onions

Clean the mushrooms and chop them into chunks, either halves or quarters depending on the size

In a saucepan or pot, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper, with a light sprinkle of turmeric powder

Once browned nicely, place cooked mushrooms in a bowl and leave on the side for now

In the same pan, saute onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once translucent, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and sauté for a few minutes to bring out the beautiful spice and color

Add another tablespoon of oil and all of the chopped herbs, along with the dried fenugreek. Fry the herbs down continuing to stir so they don&#39;t burn for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until they have wilted

In the meantime, carefully poke a few holes into each of the dried limes using either a fork or the tip of a sharp knife*Optional, make saffron water by adding a good pinch of ground saffron in a small glass and pour 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water and leave to infuse

Once the fried herbs are a dark green color, add the vegetable broth, 2 cups of water, the dried limes and season with salt and pepperPlace the lid on and let it simmer slowly with a light boil over low heat for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, add the sautéed mushrooms, kidney beans, lemon juice, and optional saffron infused water. Place the lid on and let it simmer slowly on low heat for 30-45 minutes

Ensure to check it half way, taste for seasoning and check the consistency. If it&#39;s too dry or thick, add a dash more water. Note, it shouldn&#39;t be too watery, but shouldn&#39;t be dry eitherServe your delicious Ghormeh Sabzi alongside Persian rice with a fresh shirazi salad and enjoy this authentic dish!

I came across this recipe completely by chance while looking for vegetarian version of Ghormeh Sabji and Sabji polo and I loved your take on the meatless version. The recipes were easy to follow and packed a bunch of delightful flavours . Thank you for sharing the wonderful vegetarian recipes of the Persian cuisine ( sometimes it is difficult to find vegetarian options when you dine out). Eagerly waiting to try out the other recipes soon!

After reading about this stew from an article in the NYPost, I had to find a recipe and yours, Ayeh, is nothing short of Fabulous. I love the option of adding meat, but your vegetarian version was great. You've got me curious on all of your other recipes and delicacies of a cuisine I'd love to learn more about. Thank you so much!

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Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)

Fesenjan -Persian Stew with Walnuts...

Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Herb Stew (...

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