How to Prepare Ghormeh Sabzi Abgoosht: Traditional Hamadan-Style Festive Stew

According to Saednews, Hamadan is one of the beautiful cities of Iran, which—besides its pristine nature and rich cultural and historical attractions—also offers many aromatic and delicious foods. “Qورمه Abgoosht” or “Qormeh Abgoosht” is considered one of the most flavorful traditional dishes of Hamadan, which closely resembles ghormeh sabzi. People of Hamadan traditionally cook this special dish for Nowruz Eve and Sizdah Bedar (the 13th day of the Persian New Year). In this section of Namnak cooking training, we will teach you how to prepare Hamadan Qormeh Abgoosht with all its fine details.

Ingredients for Hamadan Qormeh Abgoosht

• Lamb meat: 250 g

• Red beans: 1/2 cup

• Stew herbs (sabzi gheymeh): 150 g

• Potato: 1

• Onion: 1

• Egg: 1

• Dried lime (limoo amani): 2

• Salt, black pepper, turmeric: as needed

• Oil: as needed

How to Prepare Hamadan Qormeh Abgoosht

First, clean and wash the beans, then soak them in water for a few hours to reduce bloating and shorten cooking time.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Sauté the chopped onion in a pot with a little oil until soft and golden.
Add turmeric and black pepper and briefly sauté them.
Cut the meat into desired pieces and add it to the onions, sautéing until the raw smell disappears.
Add the chopped herbs along with the soaked beans into the pot and sauté for a few minutes until the herbs darken.
Pour in some boiling water and reduce the heat to let the dish simmer and cook slowly.
When the meat is halfway cooked, rinse the dried limes, pierce them with a knife, and add them to the pot.
Peel and cut the potato into pieces of your choice.
Once the meat and beans are cooked halfway, add the potatoes.
After the potatoes are cooked, crack an egg into a bowl, whisk it well, and pour it into the pot. Stir the mixture.
Finally, add salt and let the dish cook for another 10–15 minutes so the egg sets and the flavors blend well.
Serve the delicious Qormeh Abgoosht with bread and pickles.

Important Cooking Tips

• For the best flavor, use lamb meat.

• The herbs used in Hamadan Qormeh Abgoosht include leeks, parsley, coriander, fenugreek, and spinach.

• The herbs should be chopped, sautéed, and then added to the stew.

• Cooking time is about 3 hours, but with a pressure cooker it takes about 1 hour.

Additional Notes

• Preparation time: about 30 minutes

• Cooking time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes

• Can be served for lunch or dinner

• Also suitable for iftar during Ramadan