Ghormeh sabzi recipe

Literally meaning "Braised/fried Greens" this is one of my all time favourite Persian dishes. Sabzi means "greens" referring to the herbs in the dish. My brother used to call it "compost heap" when he was younger but it is now one of his favourites too.  It isn't the most photogenic dish though I will try to get better photos the next time I make it. 

Sadly I never learnt to make it when my mum was alive but my amazing auntie taught me to make it since. It is still quite a rarity for me to make it as it involves a LOT of fresh herbs - I can never seem to grow enough of my own so then it can add up buying loads of herbs from the supermarket.

This dish would traditionally have beef in it but I make mine vegetarian by either omitting the meat altogether (it still tastes amazing) or using vegetarian mince to make meatballs to go in it. It is possible to also use tofu by using firm tofu and frying it lightly in a little oil. Mushrooms are another alternative to meat - I had that once in an Iranian restaurant. 

Ingredients: 

1 tin (400g) kidney beans

Either 1 large or 2 small onions (you can also include 2 cloves of garlic too if you wish)

100g fresh flat leaf parsley

100g fresh coriander

200g kale

300g spinach

optional other greens: spring onions / leeks

400g vegetarian mince 

1 tsp fenugreek

1 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper

Dried "limoo amani" limes which are dried white limes (these are more widely available these days but when I can't get hold of them, I tend to use dried lime slices or add preserved lemons to the dish at the end).

Optional: 

juice of half a lemon

pinch saffron

pinch of dried cardamom

1 tsp rosewater

Method

1. Prepare your greens by washing and roughly chopping the parsley, coriander, kale, spinach and any other greens you are using. 

2. Dice and fry the onion in some oil or ghee (and garlic if using). Add the fenugreek and tumeric.

3. If you are making this with meat, this is the stage to add it. But instead I make meatballs using vegetarian mince and fry them separately, adding them to this dish at the end of cooking so that they don't fall apart.

4. Add the kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

5. Add the greens and continue to fry a little longer. 

6. Add some water, pierce the dried limes then simmer for a while until the limes are softened and the stew thickens again. The herbs really become thick and mushy rather than watery. If you are not using meat then I guess the cooking time can be reduced. 

7. Add seasoning to taste. The finishing touches, which are optional but which my auntie recommends are adding the juice of half a lemon at the end, a pinch of ground saffron, a pinch of ground cardamom and 1 tsp of rose water. 

Serve with plain rice, saffron rice or zereshk (barberry) rice. I have also made quinoa to serve with it in the past as an alternative to rice. 

This photo is with the zereshk quinoa. I can't take credit for the tofu ghormeh sabzi here though as it is one we ordered from Modern Persian Kitchen who do the most wonderful Persian meals as frozen meals which are quick and easy to heat up and serve. 

The zereshk quinoa is made by cooking the quinoa according to pack instructions. Frying some zereshk (barberries) and grated carrot in some butter or ghee and mixing into the quinoa with a little ground saffron and water mixed together and stirred into the quinoa too. 

It was actually well over a decade ago that my auntie taught me this dish but I keep losing the piece of paper I wrote it on so now I found it again, I thought I would type it up to avoid losing the recipe again!