Persian · Dinner

Persian beef, herb, and dried-lime stew (ghormeh sabzi)

Name: Persian beef, herb, and dried-lime stew (ghormeh sabzi)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h 45 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani); 2 cups hot water; 2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes; 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/3 cup neutral oil, divided; 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric; 4 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves and tender stems; 2 cups chopped scallions, green and white parts; 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves; 4 cups water; 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed; Steamed basmati rice, for serving

Fork-tender beef and kidney beans in an intensely green stew of parsley, cilantro, scallion, fenugreek, turmeric, and fragrant dried Persian lime.

About 3 hr 50 minTotal

About 3 hr 30 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 servings

Equipment

Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Best large covered skillet
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the twelve-inch footprint, fitted lid, tri-ply heat distribution, 600°F oven and broiler rating, current model 41126 and UPC, ownership burden, and exact Amazon identity. Kwilt has not cooked with this pan.
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126: Its twelve-inch cooking surface gives rice, shrimp, meat, and vegetables room to cook evenly, while the fitted lid and 600°F oven rating cover both the lidded stovetop method and the shepherd's-pie oven finish. Trade-off: It is a premium-priced pan, food can stick without sound preheating and fat control, and the long handle plus lid need more storage room than a basic skillet.
Another workable path: Use another oven-safe 12-inch skillet with a well-fitting lid; if the handle has a lower heat limit, transfer oven-finished food to a suitable baking dish.
Sources
All-Clad model 41126 specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 servings

4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani)
2 cups hot water
2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup neutral oil, divided
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
4 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 cups chopped scallions, green and white parts
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
4 cups water
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Steamed basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

Pierce dried limes twice with a skewer and soak in hot water 20 minutes; drain. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven and brown beef in batches. Remove, add onions, and cook 10 minutes until deeply golden. Stir in turmeric for 30 seconds, then return beef with dried limes and 4 cups water.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low 75 minutes. Meanwhile pulse parsley, cilantro, and scallions in batches until finely chopped but not wet paste.
Heat remaining oil in a . Cook chopped herbs over medium heat 18 to 22 minutes, stirring constantly near the end, until dark green, fragrant, and visibly reduced. Add fenugreek only for the final 2 minutes so it does not turn bitter.
Stir herbs, kidney beans, and remaining salt into the beef. Cover partially and simmer 60 to 75 minutes until beef is fork-tender, beans are intact, and broth has become a cohesive green gravy. Press limes gently once for aroma but do not crush their bitter seeds; serve with rice.

IranPersian household and celebration cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Ghormeh sabzi is one of Iran's defining khoreshes, turning a large mass of parsley, cilantro, scallion, and restrained fenugreek into the dark green body of a long-simmered beef, bean, and dried-lime stew.

Ghormeh sabzi is often called Iran's national stew, but every family negotiates its herb ratios, bean choice, meat, and sourness. Its name points to cooked herbs: here they are treated as the vegetable body of the stew, not a last-minute garnish. Dried Persian lime and restrained fenugreek are defining, not decorative. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use canned beans late to remove an overnight soak without changing the defining long-cooked herb-lime stew; retain the substantial but mostly passive time honestly as weekend cuisine-anchor cooking.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe