Ghormeh Sabzi

8 servings

Hardware

• Food processor (Cuisinart)
• Enough counter space for 2 pounds of fresh herbs

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 lb dry kidney beans
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 lb mushrooms, quartered
• 1 heaping teaspoon turmeric
• 1 lb Italian parsley
• 1 lb cilantro
• scallions, minced
• 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 6 Omani dried limes, punctured several times with a fork
• salt and black pepper
• Greek yogurt

Optional Ingredients

• Spinach, cut into small strips
• Carrots, diced

The day before

Soak the kidney beans.

Procedure

Thread 1: Stew

• Bring the beans to a boil and simmer, covered, about 90 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt when the beans start to get tender. When they are fully cooked, drain off any excess liquid, until the water just covers the beans.
• Puncture the dried limes a few times with a sturdy fork, and add them to the beans. Continue to simmer.

Thread 2: Herbs

• Remove the largest stems from the fresh herbs (parsley and cilantro).Wash and dry them. Set them out for a few hours to completely dry before chopping them.
• Chop the herbs very finely in a food processor.
• Sauté the minced scallions in 1/4 cup olive oil. After a couple minutes, add the chopped fresh herbs. Continue cooking the herbs, stirring frequently, until they are very dark green, almost dry, and exude a sweet-smelling green oil when squeezed—about 30 or 40 minutes.

Thread 3: Sauté

• Dice the yellow onion and sauté in olive oil until browned. Add diced carrots (optional), quartered mushrooms, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper, and a heaping teaspoon of turmeric.
• Add the onion/mushroom mixture to the stew.

Thread#join

• Add the cooked herbs and a tablespoon of dried fenugreek to the stew.
• Add the chopped spinach (if using). You can stir-fry it a bit first to deglaze the pan.
• Check the consistency of the stew. It should not be runny. If it is too watery, let it simmer uncovered.
• Simmer at least half an hour.

Serve over rice, with yogurt on the side.