Pork, beef & lamb

Ghormeh Sabzi

Name: Ghormeh Sabzi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 800g trimmed (buy ~1kg) lamb shoulder, boneless, 2.5cm dice; 1 (150g) onion, finely chopped; 3g (1 tsp) ground turmeric; 4 (12g) dried limes, pierced with a knife; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 800ml water; 100g fresh parsley, finely chopped, stalks too; 60g fresh coriander, finely chopped; 20g fresh dill, finely chopped; 200g spinach, finely chopped; 1 (150g) leek, finely chopped; 10g (3 tbsp) dried fenugreek leaves; 2 tins (480g drained) red kidney beans, rinsed; 1g black pepper; 30ml rapeseed oil

A Persian stew of lamb shoulder and kidney beans with a mass of slow-fried parsley, coriander, dill, spinach and fenugreek, soured with dried limes.

makes 27 blocks, about 70p each

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Time: 2 hr 50 min30 min prep · 2 hr 20 min cook
Makes: 27 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 70p
Calories per blockCalories: 89 kcal
Fibre per blockFibre: 2g

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

800g trimmed (buy ~1kg)lamb shoulder, boneless, 2.5cm dice
1 (150g)onion, finely chopped
3g (1 tsp)ground turmeric
4 (12g)dried limes, pierced with a knife
1 cubechicken stock cube
800mlwater
100gfresh parsley, finely chopped, stalks too
60gfresh coriander, finely chopped
20gfresh dill, finely chopped
200gspinach, finely chopped
1 (150g)leek, finely chopped
10g (3 tbsp)dried fenugreek leaves
2 tins (480g drained)red kidney beans, rinsed
1gblack pepper
30mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	89 kcal	267 kcal
Protein	7.8g	23.4g
Carbs	4.7g	14.1g
Fat	4.3g	12.9g
Fibre	2g	6g
Salt	0.24g	0.72g

Method

Step 1: Heat 10ml of the oil in a casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion for 8 minutes until golden. Stir in the turmeric, add the lamb and cook for 5 minutes, turning, until coloured.
Step 2: Add the water, stock cube, dried limes and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1 hour.
Step 3: Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the leek, parsley, coriander, dill and spinach, stirring often, until very dark green, reduced and fragrant. Stir in the fenugreek for the last minute. (20 min)
Step 4: Stir the fried herbs and the beans into the lamb. Partly cover and simmer for 1 hour, pressing the limes against the side of the pan halfway through, until the lamb is tender and the stew thick.
Step 5: Remove the limes, season with salt, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Serve it

Saffron rice or plain basmati rice · Flatbread with yoghurt and sliced cucumber · Rice with a salad of tomato, cucumber and onion

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	89	7.8g	4.7g	4.3g	2g	0.24g
Per 3 blocks	267	23.4g	14.1g	12.9g	6g	0.72g

Cook’s notes

The herbs make the stew, so take time to fry them until they turn deep green and smell rich. Keep the heat moderate; burnt herbs taste bitter.
No dried limes? Add 45ml lemon juice at the end instead.
Frozen ready-chopped herbs for ghormeh sabzi from Middle Eastern grocers save a lot of chopping; use about 450g.

Serve it

Saffron rice or plain basmati rice · Flatbread with yoghurt and sliced cucumber · Rice with a salad of tomato, cucumber and onion.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 267 kcal and 23.4g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Ghormeh Sabzi questions

Where can I find dried limes and fenugreek leaves?

Middle Eastern and Persian grocers sell both, and many large supermarkets stock dried fenugreek leaves (methi) in the world foods aisle. Dried limes are also sold online as limoo omani.

Can I use beef instead of lamb?

Diced beef braising steak or shin works well. Cook it for 1 hour 30 minutes before adding the herbs, rather than 1 hour.

Why is fenugreek kept to a small amount?

Dried fenugreek leaves have a strong, slightly bitter flavour that is essential here but can easily take over. Ten grams is enough to give the stew its distinctive savoury note.