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Persian cuisine is famous for its slow cooked meat braises. For centuries, braises have been an integral and expansive class of dishes within the Persian cookery landscape. The Persian word for a meat braise is khoresh (also called khoresht). There is a wide range of Persian meat braises incorporating different types of meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, beans, and legumes, as well as some requiring short-lived seasonal ingredients, and there are also many regional specialties. 

Khoresh-é-ghormeh-sabzi, or simply ghormeh-sabzi, is the most famous and popular Persian meat braise. Some refer to it as the national khoresh of Iran. Although a bit time consuming, it is a relatively simple dish to make. Chunks of browned lamb or beef and aromatic onions and turmeric are first gently braised, then a pan-fried mixture of several finely chopped herbs is added to the pot along with kidney beans and whole Persian dried limes, and the gentle cooking continues. The result is tender chunks of meat in a luscious, thick sea of deep green herbs dotted with red kidney beans and softened brown Persian dried limes. The dish is traditionally served with rice and sometimes with tadigh. 

Thanks to Iranian-American NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ghormeh sabzi gained recent fame as the first traditional Persian dish ever served in space during a NASA mission. In February 2024, toward the end of her 199-day stay aboard the International Space Station, Moghbeli served and shared the iconic dish with her six fellow crewmates. She then posted the following message on her social media: “This weekend, I shared one of my favorite Persian dishes with my #Exp70 crewmates—ghormeh-sabzi! Of course, we ate it in the traditional way with rice. However, unfortunately, there was no tadigh.”

There are two ingredients that are essential for a successful ghormeh-sabzi. This dish is simply not the same without fenugreek leaves. By themselves, fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter, but once cooked along with other aromatics and herbs, they take on a subtle bitter-sweet flavor and a pleasing and unique aroma that fills the entire house. The second key element of this dish is dried Persian limes, known as Limoo-Omāni. They add a unique musty (in a good way!), aged sourness to the dish. Luckily, both of these two key ingredients are relatively easy to obtain in North America and Europe.

The Etymology and History of Khoresh-e-Ghormeh-Sabzi

The Persian word for any meat braise is khoresh aka khoresht. The specific name of this particular khoresh is a compound word, ghormeh-sabzi. The word ghormeh—a borrowed word from Ottoman Turkish language—has been present in the Persian culinary vocabulary for centuries. It used to refer to an early meat preservation technique in which deboned chunks of meat, after having been partially cooked in a little salted water, were placed in goatskin sacks or in clay vessels filled with animal fat. Later the term was used to refer to roasting small chunks of meat. Such preserved or roasted meat was then used as an ingredient in various dishes. The culinary meaning of the word sabzi is green herbs. Putting it all together, khoresh-é-ghormeh-sabzi, or simply ghormeh-sabzi, refers to a meat braise with green herbs.

Although there are anecdotal references to ghormeh-sabzi having been around for thousands of years, it is more likely that the dish is only a few hundred years old. The earliest known documented recipes for this dish are in a few surviving Persian cookbooks published approximately between 1835 and 1883.

Key Ingredients in Khoresh-e-Ghormeh-Sabzi

Persian Dried Limes

Persian dried lime, also known as Limoo-Omani, are Persian limes (Citrus × latifolia) that have gone through a simple preservation and drying process. Whole fresh limes are briefly blanched in a salt brine solution before being laid out to dry in the sun for several weeks. Despite its simplicity, the process of drying limes under the sun causes the limes to undergo a complex transformation: The dehydration of limes enables the interior tissue to ferment, yielding a complex and unique flavor profile characterized by a pleasant sour and citrusy flavor along with an aged, earthy, umami flavor.

Dried limes were first developed in Oman, hence their Persian name Limoo-Omani (limoo is the Persian word both for limes and lemons). While dried limes are used for cooking in different countries of the Persian Gulf region, they are primarily identified with Persian cuisine. In the Middle East, it’s common to add whole limes to soups and stews. Unlike the immediate acidic kick of fresh limes, the complex flavors of dried lime need to be unveiled. The dried limes are often pricked a few times and then tossed into the pot. As the cooking liquid penetrates the limes, they impart a refreshing tartness and an intriguing depth of flavor to the dish.

You will find whole dried limes as small as a chestnut and as large as an apricot. They also come in a range of colors from light brown to blackish brown—for this dish, I prefer the lighter colored ones, which have a more delicate sourness. Dried limes are also available in ground form, which is often used as a condiment and sprinkled on cooked and raw dishes right before they are served. 

Although whole dried limes are becoming more and more popular in the West, and you might find them in some well-stocked supermarkets, they are always readily available in brick-and-mortar Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, and Turkish markets. They are also available through several trusted mail-order and online merchants that specialize in Persian ingredients, including Kalamala Persian Grocery, Sadaf, Persian Basket, and Tavazo. They can also be ordered from spice houses such as Penzeys, Kalustyan’s, and The Spice House–and of course on Amazon.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant. Its leaves consist of three obovate leaflets (teardrop-shaped with stems attached to the tapering end). Its leaves (fresh or dried) have been used as an herb and its seeds as a spice since ancient times.

Fresh fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter, but once cooked, they take on a subtle bittersweet flavor and a uniquely pleasing aroma that fills the kitchen—often lingering for days. It is the herb that defines not only this dish but also the most famous egg-centric Persian dish, kookoo-sabzi.

Fresh fenugreek becomes available for a short period between late spring and midsummer. It is very difficult to find fresh fenugreek in North America or Europe. Some specialty Persian, Afghani, or Indian markets may carry it during its short growing season. However, practically speaking, all Persian home cooks use dried crushed fenugreek leaves for this dish, and so should you. 

It is a powerful dried herb, so a small amount goes a long way. Dried crushed fenugreek leaves are readily available these days in the spice section of many well stocked supermarkets, as well as in the same sources listed above for dried Persian lime. Please note that this dish uses fenugreek leaves, not fenugreek seeds, which is a popular spice in Indian cookery.

Other Green herbs

In addition to fenugreek leaves, this dish uses a large amount of several other fresh green herbs, including flat leaf parsley, cilantro (coriander), and some variety of leeks or chives. Although most Persian home cooks use dried crushed fenugreek leaves, they generally try to use fresh versions of the other herbs. Flat leaf parsley and cilantro are typically available in North American and European supermarkets year around. 

With regards to leeks or chives, the preferred variety is fresh Persian leeks (Allium ampeloprasum ssp. persicum), which are often available year round in specialty Persian, Afghani, and Middle Eastern markets. If you do not have access to such specialty markets, you can easily substitute an equal amount (in weight) of chives, or green parts of scallions, or the middle third section of regular common leeks. The amounts of herbs needed shown in the list of ingredients is the weight of the leaves and most tender and short stems after the longer and tough stems have been removed.

The Meat

Ghormeh-sabzi is typically made with either lamb or beef. Between lamb and beef, if you have the option, I recommend lamb. The best cuts of lamb for Persian-style braising are tougher cuts like leg, shoulder, neck, and shank. My everyday go-to cut for braising is leg of lamb. It is a hardworking muscle that has enough collagen (intramuscular fat and connective tissue) that breaks down during a moist, long, slow cooking process, creating a texture that is spoon tender. If you decide to go with beef, the best cuts of beef for braising include chuck, bone-in short rib, shanks, and as a treat, oxtail.

How to Serve Khoresh-e-Ghomeh-Sabzi

Once ready, khoresh-e-ghormeh-sabzi is normally transferred to a large serving dish and served family-style. Like practically all other Persian khoreshes, khoresh-e-ghormeh-sabzi is best served as a main dish with Persian steamed white rice (chelow), along with a few pieces of Persian crunchy rice (tahdig). Alternatively, it can be accompanied by a variety of Persian flatbreads (e.g., lavāsh, sangak, tāftoon, babari) or another type of flat bread such as pita.

When served as part of a complete meal, a side of Persian Shirāzi salad (chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and red onions), Persian māst-o-khiār (chopped or grated cucumber, yogurt, crushed dried mint leaves), and/or the ubiquitous Persian plate of fresh herbs called sabzi-khordan (any combination of fresh mint, tarragon, basil, watercress, scallion, radish) is customary, but not necessary.

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