قورمه‌ سبزی

Over the week-end, my Iranian friends in the Sultanate of Oman surprised me with my favorite Persian dish — vegetarian ghormeh sabzi (قورمه‌ سبزی). While I’d dined before on this delicious green stew in Iran and America, my friend’s version this week-end in Muscat was the best I’ve ever tasted — and I savored every bite of it.

A delicious mix of parsley, spinach, leeks, coriander, dried fenugreek leaves, and beans, ghormeh sabzi is served over rice that has been intentionally crisped on the bottom of the pot (tah deeg / ته دیگ‎‎). After lunch, we enjoyed another Persian treat for desert — sholeh zard (شله زرد — Persian saffron rice pudding). If you’d like to try cooking gormeh sabzi at home, here’s a recipe. Enjoy and noosh-e jan / نوش جان (bon appétit / may your soul be nourished)!