1 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
1 ½ cups finely chopped spinach
1 cup finely chopped green onions (green part only)
½ cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped chives
¼ cup finely chopped fenugreek leaves (do not substitute, leave out if needed)
1 ½ cups water, or more as needed
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon, juiced
4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani), or more to taste
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes (if using white onions, they may not caramelize as deeply). Stir in turmeric for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chuck cubes; cook until coated in turmeric and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes or longer.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a separate pot over medium heat. Add spinach, green onions, parsley, cilantro, chives, and fenugreek leaves; cook and stir until deep dark green in color, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir spinach mixture into the onion and chuck mixture. Pour in enough water to create a slurry consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in lemon juice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer stew until greens soften, about 1 hour.
Pierce dried limes with a fork and add to the stew. Continue simmering until chuck is tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in red kidney beans. Cook until flavors combine, about 30 minutes. Discard dried limes before serving.
Note
Fenugreek can make stew bitter! Do not try to substitute for this ingredient and leave it out if needed.
Substitute lamb stew meat for the chuck roast if preferred.