Persian herb stew with lamb and kidney beans (Ghormeh sabzi)

1. Cut the lamb into 3 cm cubes. In a pan fry the finely chopped onions in 3 tbsp oil until golden, add the turmeric, then the meat and brown on all sides.

2. Pour in the water, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile chop the parsley, coriander and spring onions very finely and fry them in a frying pan in the remaining oil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until dark green and greatly reduced in volume; add the dried fenugreek leaves at the end.

4. Pierce the dried limes in a few places with a fork and add them to the stew with the fried herbs.

5. Stir in the drained cooked kidney beans, cover and cook for another hour until the meat is tender, the sauce thick and dark green and oil appears on the surface.

6. Serve with plain basmati rice and tahdig (crispy rice crust).

Tip: Many consider ghormeh sabzi the national dish of Iran. The secret is the long frying of the herbs: don't rush it, as this gives the deep, slightly bitter flavour. The dried lime (loomi) brings its typical sourness - if you can't find it, grate in the zest of a lime and squeeze in its juice at the end.