Qormeh sabzi Damghani is Damghan’s split-pea variation on the familiar Persian herb stew. Instead of beans, it uses yellow split peas alongside lamb, fried herbs, dried lime, verjuice and a small amount of saffron.
The split peas change more than the name. They soften faster than many whole beans and thicken the sauce, so they need gentle handling if the finished qormeh is to stay textured rather than turn pasty.
Ingredients
- 400 g mutton or lamb, cut into stew-sized cubes
- 500 g mixed leeks, parsley, coriander, spinach and fenugreek, finely chopped
- 1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and soaked
- 5 dried limes (limoo amani)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon brewed saffron
- 2 tablespoons verjuice
- Turmeric, salt and black pepper, to taste
- Neutral oil, as needed
- About 5 cups hot water or unsalted meat stock
Prepare the dried limes and split peas
Pierce each dried lime a few times with a fork and soak it in hot water until needed. This softens the rind and can temper excessive bitterness. Do not cut the limes open unless you want a much stronger flavour.
Drain the soaked split peas. Warm a little oil in a small pan and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently. This brief coating helps them keep their shape during the long simmer; they do not need to be fully cooked at this point.
Brown the onion and lamb
- Warm oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, with pale golden edges.
- Add the cubed lamb and turn it until the surfaces change colour.
- Stir in turmeric, black pepper and the brewed saffron. Cook briefly, taking care not to scorch the spices.
- Add about 5 cups of hot water or unsalted meat stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially and let the lamb begin to tenderise.
Fry the qormeh sabzi herbs
Warm a little oil in a wide frying pan. Add the finely chopped herb mixture and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring. The aim is to remove some raw moisture and deepen the aroma while keeping the herbs recognisably green; do not fry them until black.
Add the herbs and split peas to the lamb. Lower the heat, cover partially and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has come together. Check occasionally and add hot water only when necessary.
Finish the Damghani stew
During the final 30 minutes, drain the dried limes and add them with salt. Stir in the verjuice gradually, tasting as you go. Dried lime and verjuice both bring acidity, so the correct amount depends on the strength of each.
The stew is ready when the lamb is tender, the split peas are cooked but not completely dissolved and a light sheen of oil appears on the surface. Remove any dried lime that has made the sauce bitter before serving.
Chicken variation
Chicken can replace lamb, but it needs less water and a shorter cooking time. Use smaller chicken pieces, cook the split peas separately until nearly tender, then combine them with the herb sauce and chicken. Cook until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) and the flavours have settled.
Serving and useful distinctions
Serve Qormeh sabzi Damghani with steamed rice. The spellings qormeh and ghormeh describe the same broad stew family in English transliteration, but the Damghani use of split peas is the feature to remember.
For another regional dish with a related name but a different structure, see our Buz Qormeh abgoosht recipe. It should not be treated as interchangeable with this herb-and-split-pea stew.
