GHORMEH SABZI - PERSIAN HERB STEW
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dishes/Khoresh
Cuisine: Azeri/Persian
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups sliced scallions, green parts only (about 3 bunches cut to ½-inch slices)
  • 3 cups cut curly or flat leaf parsley (about 2 bunches, no tough stems)
  • 2 cups cut cilantro (about 1 bunch) stems and all
  • 2 TBSP vegetable oil
  • 1 pound cross rib roast or another marbled beef cut into 2-inch cubes
  • ½ large yellow onion, keep it in one piece
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 3 cups cold water
  • 1 ½ large yellow onions, sliced very thin and fried to golden brown (or about 4 ½ -5 ounces of fried onions)
  • 3-4 TBSP vegetable oil for frying the onions
  • 2 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1 cup home cooked pinto beans or canned pinto beans
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 crushed limoo amani (dried lime)
  • 4 whole limoo amani, pierced with the tip of a sharp knife or a fork
  • 2 Roma tomatoes (optional)
  • Recipe: Persian Steamed Rice
Instructions
  1. Pick through the herbs, slice the scallion greens and cut the parsley and cilantro into about 1 ½ inch pieces (don’t chop too small). Add all the herbs to a large bowl and fill with cold water. Agitate with your hand a few times and let the herbs sit in water for about 10 minutes to loosen any possible gravel. Use a slotted spatula to transfer the herbs to a colander. If you notice any grit in the bowl, repeat until you see none. Set aside to drain all the water.
  2. Add beef, turmeric powder, ground black pepper, water, and half of a large onion to a 4-6 QT pressure cooker. Close the lid and top with the pressure regulator. Cook over medium high heat. Follow the instructions for your specific pressure cooker. Once the pressure builds up and the pressure regulator starts rattling, set the timer for 20 minutes and reduce the heat a little bit ( to between med high and medium) and continue cooking. Remove the pressure cooker from heat and without removing the pressure regulator place the pressure cooker under running cold water to release the pressure. Always follow the safety precautions set by the owner’s manual of your pressure cooker. Once all the pressure is released open the lid, remove the onion half and discard. Leave the cooked meat and broth in the pressure cooker.
  3. Add the herbs and 2 TBSP vegetable oil to a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Saute over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stir frequently. Transfer the herbs to the pressure cooker.
  4. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and in the same skillet fry the sliced onions in 3-4 TBSP oil until golden brown. Add the tomato paste and saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until aromatic. Add the onion mixture to the pressure cooker.
  5. Add 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ cups cold water, 4 crushed limoo amani, 4 whole limoo amani, and the cooked pinto beans to the pressure cooker. Cover the lid, top with the pressure regulator and heat over medium high. Once the pressure regulator rattles, set the timer for only 5 minutes this time. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat, follow the safety steps described above and transfer the content of the pressure cooker back to the large skillet.
  6. Cut 2 Roma tomatoes to quarters and add to the skillet. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium low heat for another 30 minutes. Stir occasionally around the tomatoes so they don’t fall apart and keep their shape and brilliant color.
  7. Serve over White Steamed Rice with Saffron Yogurt Tahdig, or Lavash Bread Tahdig.
Notes
To cook the beef in a stockpot: Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes and brown in 1 TBSP butter, turmeric and black pepper for 10 minutes. Add the onion half and 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and cook until fork tender. This will take about 1 hour. Discard the onion half. If there is less than 2 cups broth by the time the meat is cooked, add more water.
Add the 4 whole limoo amani to a small bowl, add enough hot water just to cover it, and let it soak for 5-10 minutes.
In the large skillet saute the fried onions with the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Add the cooked beef along with the broth, sauteed herbs, water, salt, pepper, crushed and whole limoo amani, and the cooked pinto beans to the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium low for 1 more hour, or until the meat and limoo amani are tender. If needed add more water.
If adding fresh tomatoes: Add the quartered tomatoes, cover and simmer over medium low for another 30 minutes until the sauce reduces.

Limoo amani (dried Persian lime) may be purchased from Middle Eastern markets.
Recipe by Persian Mama at https://persianmama.com/persian-herb-stew-ghormeh-sabzi-sabzi-ghorma/