60. Persian Beef and herb stew inspired by the iconic Ghormeh Sabzi
The King of Persian stews !
This is a nod (or perhaps one should say bow) to the the iconic Persian recipe, ghormeh sabzi. This King is in no rush. Cooking ghormeh sabzi is well worth the time, anticipation and the wait. This recipe understands the ingredients and the essence of their cooking. Flavour takes time to develop. Ghormeh sabzi is not difficult nor complicated, just a few simple steps, lots of chopping and then, time waiting for flavours to develop. The recipe takes time (around 3 hours) to develop and evolve. Ghormeh sabzi is arguably the national dish of Iran. It is an elegant feast of a stew where distinctive flavours unfold, infuse and marry to perfection after a few hours of cooking on your stove-top. This dish is a showstopper and definitely a recipe to use when you want to pull out all the stops, and treat your guests and family with the ultimate Persian meal.
This version of ghormeh sabzi is served with fluffy basmati rice drizzled with bloomed saffron water and a gorgeous Shirazi side salad. (The recipe for Shirazi salad is #7 in this publication, Just really good recipes.)
The majority of the ingredients for this ghormeh sabzi recipe are readily available at your local supermarket. The exceptions are dried limes and fenugreek leaves, which you can source online or at your local Mid-Eastern or Asian grocers.
“Nousheh Jaan” - may it be nourishing for your soul! Translated from Farsi.
Ingredients
1 large cooking onion, finely chopped
2 leeks chopped (same size chop as the cooking onion)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) - 1/4 cup at a time
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
bloomed saffron twice *See Note (optional)
1 teaspoon each: salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric (divided)
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bit sized pieces
1 beef bouillon cube (optional)
2 cups beef stock (or 2 cups of water with the bouillon cube)
4 dried limes (limoo amani) - pierced with the tip of a knife
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped about 1 cup
2 bunches parsley, finely chopped about 2 cups
1 bunch fresh baby spinach (one big bunch or clam shell), finely chopped
1 bunch green onions/scallions (6 stalks)
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
2 heaping tablespoons dried fenugreek or 1 cup finely chopped fresh
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans - rinsed well and drained
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and more to serve as per individual taste
*Note:
Bloomed saffron (20 minutes) - this recipe will require this recipe twice, one for the stew and one for drizzling on rice as you serve.
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron - never use the strands without grinding them using a mortar and pestle with a small pinch of sugar
2 ice cubes
Method
Place the ice cubes in a small bowl or jar. Sprinkle ground saffron on top of the ice cubes and let it sit in room temperature until the ice is fully melted.
Use immediately or cover the bowl or jar and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Method
Begin with the stew. In a heated (to med-high) large non stick pot add 1/4 cup of EVOO - enough to lightly coat the bottom, and cook the onions over medium heat. Sauté the onions until golden, about 5-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and pepper. Sauté until the garlic has softened (2 minutes) and is fragrant. Now, season the stewing beef with salt and the other 1 teaspoon turmeric (this is in addition to the turmeric you just used). Add the beef to the onion/garlic base in the pan and lightly brown the meat - another 10 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the herbs - The herbs - Place a large non stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Once simmering, add the leeks and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, cilantro, fenugreek, and scallions/chives and sauté for another 5 minutes, stir frequently. The herbs will deepen in colour and reduce in volume by about half.
Add the herb mixture, dried limes, and remaining two cups of water (more water can be added as needed later) to the simmering beef base. If using saffron, add here. Increase the heat to bring the stew to a boil - then lower the heat to cook until the stew is rich, aromatic and flavourful, a minimum of 1 hour and 30 minutes. After the stew has been simmering 1 hour add the kidney beans. Simmer until beef is tender and stew has thickened.
Add more water if required, the stew should be thick with herbs but with some broth for your rice to soak up.
Remove the dried limes and keep them to the side unless if you plan on serving them with the stew (the limes are not consumed). Check the meat by tasting for doneness. Simmer for longer if necessary. When the meat is done, add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Serve it with tahdig or fluffy basmati rice drizzled with bloomed saffron (see *Note) water and a side Shirazi salad. (The recipe for Shirazi salad is #7 in Just really good recipes.)
Serve and enjoy!
Additional information:
Fenugreek is an herb used in South Asian and Mid-East cuisine. It has an elegant earthy aroma with a distinct taste. Fenugreek can be sourced at many local grocery stores, online or a Mid-East/Asian grocers. Dried or fresh fenugreek are used for this recipe.
Dried limes are sourced at a Mid-East grocers or online. I have not found them at my local grocery stores. Dried limes in this recipe are called Limoo Amani. These dried limes are actual limes that have been brined and dried in the sun. For cooking, they need to be pierced to allow the flavour and tartness to permeate the recipe. Worth noting, dried limes should not be left simmering in the stew for more than 2 hours. Beyond 2 hours, you risk the stew becoming overly sour. Word of caution - I do not recommend eating, they are not part of the stew!