Abgoosht (Dizi): Persian Lamb and Chickpea Stew

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Abgoosht is the working man’s feast of Iran. Lamb, chickpeas, white beans, potato and dried lime cook for hours in a pot, then the meal is eaten in two parts. First the broth is poured over torn bread. Then everything left is pounded into a thick paste called goosht koobideh.

In Tehran it is often served as dizi, in individual stone pots with a pestle on the side. Making it at home needs nothing more than time.

At a glance: serves four. About four hours, almost all of it hands-off. Easy.

Ingredients

• 800g lamb neck or shank on the bone, plus a piece of lamb fat if you can get it
• ½ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ cup dried white beans, soaked overnight
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 dried limes, pierced
• 2 tomatoes, halved, and 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• Salt, black pepper and a pinch of cinnamon
• Flatbread (sangak or lavash), raw onion, pickles and herbs, to serve

Method

1. Put the lamb, chickpeas, beans, onion and turmeric in a large pot. Cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil, skimming off any foam.
2. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about three hours.
3. Add the dried limes, tomatoes, tomato paste and potatoes. Season and simmer for another hour, until everything is very soft.
4. Strain off the broth into a bowl. Take out the bones and dried limes, then pound the meat, pulses and potatoes into a coarse paste with a masher.
5. Serve the broth with bread torn into it, and the meat paste alongside with onion and pickles.

Do not skip the fat. Traditional abgoosht relies on a piece of tail fat for richness. A little extra lamb fat does the same job.

Make it the day before. Like most stews it improves overnight.

Where to buy the ingredients. Outside Iran, you can order dried limes and turmeric online.

Serve with raw onion, pickles, fresh herbs and doogh. Tehran’s old dizi houses serve it in the stone pots that give the dish its other name.