Authentic Ghormeh Sabzi - The Delicious Persian Herb Stew Recipe

Summary

This video script offers a simple and delicious method for preparing 'Korma Sabzi,' a beloved Persian stew. Key ingredients include a mix of herbs, with parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek taking center stage, alongside the crucial addition of dried lime for flavor. The process involves careful handling of dried lime to avoid bitterness, dry frying the herbs until moisture is gone, and then combining them with sautéed onions, turmeric, black pepper, and lamb. The dish is slow-cooked to perfection, with kidney beans added towards the end. It's suggested to serve with Persian rice and a side of mixed herbs for a complete, aromatic meal.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The dish being described is a traditional Persian stew called 'korma sabzi', which is a popular and beloved dish in Persian cuisine.
• 🍃 Key ingredients include a variety of fresh herbs, with parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek being the primary ones used in this recipe.
• 🍋 Dried lime is an essential ingredient that adds a unique flavor to the stew, but it must be treated to avoid bitterness by poking and soaking in boiling water for several hours.
• 🥬 The process of preparing the herbs is labor-intensive, involving chopping and dry-frying them to remove excess moisture before adding oil to achieve a dark green color.
• 🔥 It's important not to over-fry the herbs to prevent the stew from developing an undesired dark color or bitter taste.
• 🌱 Fenugreek should be added at the end of the herb-frying process to avoid bitterness and to enhance the stew's flavor.
• 🧅 The stew also includes the preparation of onions, which are sautéed until translucent and then seasoned with turmeric and black pepper.
• 🥩 Lamb is the protein of choice for this dish, and it is fried until browned before the herbs are reintroduced to the pot.
• 💧 A significant amount of water is added to the pot, and the stew is simmered for at least 90 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the dish to cook slowly.
• 📦 The preparation of the herbs can be done in large batches and frozen for convenience, making it easier to prepare the stew on busy days.
• 🥘 The stew is completed by adding soaked dried limes, kidney beans, and simmering for an additional 30 minutes to allow the flavors to fully integrate.
• 🍚 The dish is traditionally served with Persian rice and a side of mixed fresh herbs for a complete and aromatic meal experience.

Q & A

What is the main dish being described in the transcript?

The main dish being described is a Persian dish called 'korma sabzi', which is a mixed herb stew.

Why is dried lime considered an important ingredient in korma sabzi?

Dried lime is considered important because it adds a unique layer of flavor to the dish, but it must be handled carefully to avoid making the dish bitter.

How should dried limes be prepared to avoid bitterness in korma sabzi?

Dried limes should be poked with a fork and soaked in boiling hot water for at least two hours, ideally four, with rinsing every hour or hour and a half to wash out the bitterness.

What are some variations of herbs that can be used in korma sabzi?

While the recipe keeps it simple with parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek, variations can include coriander and spinach.

Why is it recommended to pre-chop the ingredients in korma sabzi?

Pre-chopping is recommended because the process is labor-intensive, and it allows for the herbs to be dry-fried more effectively to remove moisture.

How long should the herbs be dry-fried before adding oil?

The herbs should be dry-fried until they have reduced in size by half and most of the moisture has evaporated, which may take around seven to ten minutes.

What is the reason for adding vegetable oil to the herbs after they have been dry-fried?

Vegetable oil is added to the herbs to fry them further until they develop a nice dark green color, enhancing the flavor without overcooking them.

Why should fenugreek be added at the end and not fried with the other herbs?

Fenugreek should be added at the end to avoid overcooking, as it can develop a bitter flavor if fried for too long, which would affect the taste of the stew.

What is the recommended method for storing prepared herbs for future use?

Prepared herbs can be made in large batches and then frozen in small portions for convenience, allowing them to be used readily for weekday meals.

How long should the stew simmer after adding the fried herbs and water?

The stew should simmer on medium heat for at least 90 minutes, with the suggestion that longer and slower cooking will result in a better taste.

What are the final steps for completing the korma sabzi stew?

The final steps include adding soaked dried limes, salt, kidney beans, and simmering for an additional 30 minutes on low heat without a lid to allow flavors to infuse and the liquid to reduce.

Outlines

00:00

🍲 Preparing Korma Sabzi with Dried Lime and Herbs

The video script begins with an introduction to Korma Sabzi, a popular Persian herb stew. The key ingredient highlighted is dried lime, which adds a unique flavor but can make the dish bitter if not prepared correctly. The presenter shares a tip for soaking dried limes in boiling water for several hours, poking them with a fork to release the flavor without bitterness. The preparation involves using a variety of herbs including parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek. The herbs are pre-chopped and then dry-fried to remove moisture before being fried with vegetable oil until they achieve a dark green color. The presenter also mentions the option of freezing prepped herbs in batches for convenience. The process of making the stew is continued in the next paragraph.

05:01

🔥 Completing the Korma Sabzi Stew with Meat and Beans

Continuing from the previous paragraph, the script describes the next steps in making Korma Sabzi. After preparing the herbs, the presenter moves on to sauté onions and then adds spices like turmeric and black pepper. Lamb cubes are browned in the pot, and once done, the fried herbs are reintroduced. The stew is then simmered with water for at least 90 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the dish to develop depth. Towards the end of the cooking process, soaked dried limes, salt, and kidney beans are added, and the stew simmers for an additional 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse and the liquid reduce. The presenter suggests that this dish can be prepared the night before serving to enhance the flavors. The video concludes with serving suggestions, including a side of Persian rice and a plate of mixed herbs, with a piece of dried lime for those who prefer it. The presenter emphasizes the dish's hearty and comforting nature and encourages viewers to try making it at home.

Keywords

💡Korma Sabzi

Korma Sabzi is a traditional Persian stew made with a mixture of herbs and vegetables. It is central to the video's theme as it is the dish being prepared and explained. The script describes it as 'one of the most loved Persian dishes today,' highlighting its cultural significance and popularity.

💡Dried Lime

Dried lime is a crucial ingredient in Korma Sabzi, adding a distinct flavor profile to the dish. The script emphasizes its importance but also the need to handle it carefully to avoid bitterness. The process of poking and soaking the dried limes is described in detail, illustrating its role in enhancing the dish's flavor.

💡Herbs

Herbs are key ingredients in the recipe, contributing to the overall taste and aroma of the stew. The script mentions parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek as the primary herbs used, which are integral to achieving the authentic flavor of Korma Sabzi.

💡Frying

Frying is a cooking technique used in the preparation of Korma Sabzi, specifically for the herbs. The script describes the process of dry frying the herbs to remove moisture and then frying them with vegetable oil to develop a rich color, which is essential for the dish's final appearance and taste.

💡Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is used for frying the herbs and onions in the recipe. It is mentioned as a medium for cooking that helps in achieving the desired texture and color of the ingredients without burning them, which is vital for the dish's visual appeal and flavor.

💡Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a specific herb used in the recipe that adds a unique flavor. The script cautions against over-frying fenugreek due to its potential to develop a bitter taste, which would negatively impact the stew's final taste. It is added at the end of the frying process to preserve its flavor.

💡Sauteing

Sauteing is another cooking method mentioned in the script, used for cooking onions until they become translucent. This process is part of building the stew's flavor base and is essential for the development of the dish's overall taste.

💡Lamb

Lamb is the meat used in the Korma Sabzi recipe, contributing to the dish's hearty and comforting nature. The script describes browning the lamb cubes as part of the cooking process, which adds depth to the stew's flavor.

💡Simmering

Simmering is a slow cooking method used to cook the stew after all ingredients have been combined. The script specifies that the stew should simmer for at least 90 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the dish to develop its characteristic taste.

💡Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are added towards the end of the cooking process, contributing to the stew's texture and protein content. The script mentions adding them after the stew has simmered for about two hours, indicating their role in the final stages of cooking.

💡Persian Rice

Persian rice is suggested as a side dish to accompany the Korma Sabzi, highlighting the traditional way of serving this stew. The script implies that the combination of the stew with Persian rice enhances the overall dining experience.

Highlights

Ghormeh Sabzi is a popular Persian herb stew made with a variety of herbs and spices.

Dried limes are a key ingredient that adds a unique flavor but can make the dish bitter if not prepared properly.

To avoid bitterness from dried limes, poke them with a fork and soak in boiling water for 2-4 hours, rinsing hourly.

Different variations of Ghormeh Sabzi exist, with some including coriander or spinach, but the basic recipe uses parsley, green onions, chives, and fenugreek.

The herbs should be pre-chopped and then dry-fried to remove excess moisture before adding oil.

Frying the herbs without oil first helps to evaporate moisture and reduce the herbs to half their size.

After moisture is gone, fry the herbs in vegetable oil until they develop a dark green color, being careful not to over-fry.

Fenugreek should be added last to avoid bitterness from overcooking.

Making large batches of the herb mix and freezing in portions can save time for future meals.

The next step is to sauté onions until translucent, then add turmeric and black pepper.

Brown lamb cubes in the pot before returning the fried herbs to the mix.

Add water and let the stew simmer on medium heat for at least 90 minutes, longer cooking times enhance the flavor.

Kidney beans and soaked dried limes are added near the end of cooking, after the liquid has reduced.

Simmer the stew for an additional 30 minutes on low heat without a lid to allow flavors to infuse and liquid to reduce further.

Serve Ghormeh Sabzi with Persian rice and a side of mixed herbs for a complete meal.

Preparing the stew the night before a dinner party allows flavors to meld and result in an even better dish.

Ghormeh Sabzi is a hearty and comforting dish that is worth the time and effort to make at home.

Transcripts

is a mixed herb stew and it is one of

the most loved Persian dishes today I'm

going to show you how to make it in a

very simple and delicious way in

addition to herbs being the key

ingredient for this dish we like to use

dried lime it just adds a beautiful

layer of flavor and it's just a

must-have part of this recipe dried lime

is one of the most important ingredients

in korma sabzi but it can also turn your

dish quite bitter now a key tip on how

to add the flavor without the bitterness

is to poke each dried lime with a fork

so

and then I'm gonna soak it in boiling

hot water for a couple of hours

you want to make sure because sometimes

the dried lime can be quite hard so make

sure you are careful

I'm going to soak it for at least two

hours ideally four hours if you have

time and you want to rinse it every hour

hour and a half just to make sure that

bitterness flavor is washed out

thank you

there are different variations of how

you can make horma sabzi some people

like to add coriander spinach but I keep

mine quite simple the key herbs I use

are parsley green onions chives and

fenugreek

I've pre-chopped all my ingredients

because it is quite a labor intensive

process and what I'm going to do is just

dry fry it first here's my parsley green

onions

and hives

and I'm just going to dry fry it until

all the moisture comes out

it's gonna literally

half in size and then I'll fry it with

some vegetable oil

this takes maybe about

seven to ten minutes

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you'll notice at this point there's a

lot of steam that's coming out and

that's the moisture in the herbs which

is evaporating

and

once you start feeling that a lot of the

excess moisture from the herbs has

evaporated then we'll fry it into the

vegetable oil so when you kind of

squeeze the vegetables if you see some

water coming through that means we still

need to continue frying it without oil

next I'll add some vegetable oil to the

herbs

and I'll fry it until it starts to

develop a nice dark green color

it's really important not to over fry

because it will affect the final color

of your stew so you don't want it to get

too dark because you want to have a nice

rich green color but not a dark black

color

it's been about 10 minutes since I've

fried the herbs with vegetable oil and

it's slowly started to develop a

beautiful dark green color

at this point I'm just gonna turn it off

and then add the fenugreek

it's really important not to fry the

fenugreek with the other herbs because

if you over fry it it has a very bitter

flavor which will affect the final Taste

of this stew but if you just add it in

the end

it's just going to add a beautiful layer

of flavor to the stew so now I'm just

going to reserve my herbs

on the side

and another tip when preparing this

recipe is that the preparation of the

herbs from chopping to Frying can be

quite long and tedious so sometimes I'll

make large batches at one time and then

freeze them in little portions so that

they're already used whenever I want for

a weekday for my sabzi meal

okay I'm just gonna give this pot a

little wipe before I continue with the

next step of frying the onions and

basically adding the finishing touches

of the stew

my mixed herbs are ready and now it's

time to start with the next step so in a

large pot I'm going to add some

vegetable oil here I've got one onion

which I've diced and I'm just gonna

saute until translucent

once the onions have softened I'm going

to add in my turmeric

and black pepper

and you just want to fry so that the raw

flavor of the turmeric comes out

and next I'll add in my lamb cubes

and just fry for about seven to ten

minutes

now once the meat is browned

I'll return my fried herbs back into the

pot

and I'll add two and a half liters of

water

and I'm just going to let this simmer on

medium heat for at least 90 minutes I

did need more if you have time this is

one of those dishes that the longer and

slower Cooks the better tasting it is

and then we'll add in our beans and our

dried limes

my Stew's been bubbling now for about

two hours

and you'll see that the liquid has

reduced

and at this point I'm gonna add my

soaked dried lime

[Music]

salt

and my kidney beans

and I'm gonna let this simmer for an

additional 30 minutes on low heat

without the lid what I want is for all

the flavors to infuse together and the

liquid will reduce even further

and this dish will be ready to be served

with some Persian rice on the side

foreign

and it smells spectacular a quick tip if

you're hosting a dinner party is to

prepare this the night before the

flavors Infuse further and the final

result is something amazing and I always

like to serve my corn sabzi with a plate

of mixed herbs I've got green onions

mince parsley basil radishes and if

there's anything else that you want to

add there's no harm

and finally for that perfect bold look

at how beautiful this looks I just add a

generous Spoonful onto my plate

don't forget to add a piece of dried

lime if you like

[Music]

this hearty and comforting mixed herbs

do is definitely worth all the time and

effort definitely try it at home and do

let me know what you guys think see you

guys later

[Music]

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