By Zohreh Dehghani
My name is Zohreh, and I am originally from Iran. In 2018, after spending 15 years abroad, I returned to Australia. My family and I had lived in Sydney in the early 2000s when my sons were just young boys.
My husband and I initially immigrated to Australia to provide them with a better future. However, at a certain point, we felt it was important for our children to be more immersed in the culture we grew up with, especially as they approached their teenage years. This led us to temporarily move back to Tehran.
In 2015, when my older son expressed an interest in continuing his studies at an Australian university, we realised that we would eventually return to Australia. That proved true when, two years later, my younger son, frustrated by the restrictive atmosphere in Iranian universities and society, decided to join his brother at the University of Wollongong.
During a visit to Melbourne in 2016, where we were visiting a close friend, we were struck by the city’s vibrant and peaceful atmosphere and the friendliness of its people. This inspired us to choose Werribee as our new home, and as fate would have it, I ended up becoming neighbours with my best friend.
Adjusting to life in Australia after living such a busy life in Tehran was challenging. That began to change when I met Tania, the leader of the Wyndham Women’s Support Group (WWSG), through a community leadership course. This connection made a significant difference in my life. Being part of the group and receiving social and emotional support from the other members helped me navigate my challenges and gradually develop a sense of belonging. Melbourne, and particularly Wyndham, started to feel like home.
The support from WWSG was especially crucial during the difficult days of the COVID-19 restrictions. My husband’s flights from Iran were repeatedly cancelled for 18 months, and I was unable to see my sons for several months due to the border closures between Victoria and New South Wales. Thanks to WWSG, I was able to endure those tough times.
I am proud to be part of the Wyndham Women’s Support Group and to contribute to the community garden project. I always look forward to Fridays, when I can meet with my friends for our weekly gatherings.
And if you’d like more information about the group please email wyndwomens.sg18@gmail.com
Ghormeh Sabzi
Ghormeh Sabzi is one of the most popular dishes in Iranian cuisine. It is called Ghormeh Sabzi because the main ingredients of this special stew consist of herbs. Sabzi is a Persian word for herb. Using dried limes in this dish adds a slight taste of sourness to it and makes it more pleasant. Ghormeh Sabzi is always served with rice.
Ingredients
- 200g chives
- 200g parsley
- 100g spinach
- 50g fenugreek
- 100g pinto or kidney beans
- 250g lamb meat
- 4 dried limes
- 1 onion
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and chilli to taste
- A pinch of turmeric
Method
- To make the herbs ready for the stew, use a knife or food processor to chop the herbs into very small pieces.
- Then put them into a very hot pan and let them cook. After ten minutes, add some oil to it and fry them for 5 more minutes on low fire.
- Make some holes in the dried limes with a knife and soak them in hot water for ten minutes.
- Fry the herbs in a pot and add the chopped onion and fry it with some turmeric. Then cut the meat into pieces and add them to the fried onions.
- To make the dish more delicious, add some dried fenugreek to the meat and onion and let them fry on low fire for 5 minutes.
- Add the fried herbs to the onion and the meat, mix them together with some salt and chilli. Add beans and soaked limes to them.
- Add some boiled water to the pot to reach 2 centimetres above the contents in the pot and leave it to cook on low for at least 3 hours.
- Check and stir the stew every one hour to make sure that it has enough water. Enjoy with rice.
