Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian Carmelized Herb Stew

Greens , Greens, Greens. Sabzi means greens and this famous Persian Stew is loaded with varieties and large quantities of finely chopped herbs, resulting in a rich and nutritious stew loved the world over. The strong flavour of Fenugreek is what creates this dish of love, and of course it is usually served with Saffron rice!

Recipe Compliments of – Chef Behzad Jamshidi

Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 225°F. Meanwhile, in an oven safe, heavy base pot, heat up a few table spoons of olive oil until smoking – a Dutch oven would be ideal for this. Meanwhile, season generously both sides of the beef with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Carefully place the beef away from you into the pan, and allow the meat to caramelize for 2-3 minutes before turning over and continuing to caramelize for another 2-3 minutes on the opposite side. Take the beef out of the pan and set aside until later.
Turn the heat of your pot onto medium low, and add onions & leeks, with a small pinch of salt; this helps pull moisture out of the onions and encourages them not to over caramelize. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add turmeric and continue to sauté for another minute until the turmeric is aromatic.
In a food processor, finely process your herbs; parsley, cilantro, chives and fenugreek. Add your fine herbs to your onions, and cook until their color has deeply darkened, and the herbs stop passing water and start to fry, about 25 minutes. You should have something resembling a paste at this point.
Add Soaked Kidney Beans, Meat, and Stock. Give a good stir to combine. It is important to impart flavor into the braise while it cooks, so season lightly to taste with salt and black pepper.
Top with addition water or stock to assure Meat is completely covered. Once at a boil, cover with a tightly fitting lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven for a minimum of 2 1/2 hours and up to 3 ½. The longer the Meat braises, the more tender the result.
Stew is encouraged to be left in the refrigerator overnight, and re-heated and enjoyed the day after