Ghormeh sabzi ( fa, قورمه‌ سبزی) or Khoresht sabzi ( fa, خورشت‌ سبزی), also spelled ''qormeh sabzi'', is an Iranian

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

. It is considered the

national dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...

of Iran. It is a very popular dish in Iran.

History

Ghormeh sabzi dates back as far as 5,000 years and originated in Iran.

Etymology

''Ghormeh'' is derived from Persian and means "braised," while ''sabzi'' is the Persian word for herbs.

Preparation

The main ingredients are a mixture of sauteed herbs, consisting mainly of

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...

leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

s or green onions, and

coriander Coriander (;

, seasoned with the key spice of dried

fenugreek Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...

leaves. The herb mixture has many variations. Any dark bitter greens can be used, such as kale, mustard greens, or turnip greens, although none are part of the original recipe. This mixture is cooked with kidney beans, yellow or red onions,

black lime Dried lime, also known as: black lime; ''noomi basra'' (Iraq); ''limoo amani'' (Iran); and ''loomi'' (Oman), is a lime that has lost its water content, usually after having spent a majority of its drying time in the sun. They are used whole, sli ...

(pierced dried limou-Amani

Persian lime Persian lime (''Citrus'' × ''latifolia''), also known by other common names such as seedless lime, Bearss lime and Tahiti lime, is a citrus fruit species of hybrid origin, known only in cultivation. The Persian lime is a triploid cross betwee ...

), and turmeric-seasoned lamb or beef. The dish is then served with polo (Persian parboiled and steamed rice) or over

tahdig Scorched rice, also known as crunchy rice, is a thin crust of slightly browned rice at the bottom of the cooking pot. It is produced during the cooking of rice over direct heat from a flame. Varieties Cape Verde In Cape Verdean Creole, the bu ...

. The ''Financial Times'' noted that there is much disagreement among Iranians on the ingredients used in the stew.

Cultural importance

''Self'' magazine listed ghormeh sabzi as one of twelve of the most meaningful dishes among cultures passed down among families. The ''Tehran Times'' wrote that the dish "is one of the most prominent dishes in Persian culinary heritage." Iranians in the diaspora traditionally celebrate "International Ghormeh Sabzi Appreciation Day" two days after Thanksgiving.

References

External links