Abgoosht

Abgoosht (Dizi) – Persian Lamb & Bean Stew

A classic Iranian comfort dish, Abgoosht is slow-cooked lamb, chickpeas, white beans, and potato, served in two stages: first the savory broth with bread, then the tender solids mashed into a paste called gusht-koobideh.

Prep

20 min

Cook

180 min

Total

200 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) lamb shoulder or shank, bone-in, cut into large chunks
• •100 g (3½ oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained
• •100 g (3½ oz) dried white beans (e.g., navy or cannellini), soaked overnight, drained
• •300 g (10½ oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• •4 whole dried limes (limoo amani), pierced with a fork before adding
• •1 large onion, chopped
• •1 tsp ground turmeric
• •salt, to taste
• •black pepper, to taste
• •2 L (8½ cups) water, for simmering

Steps

1. 1 Soak the chickpeas and white beans overnight in separate bowls of plenty of water. Drain and rinse thoroughly before use.
2. 2 In a large heavy pot, combine the lamb, chopped onion, turmeric, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off any foam that rises. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
3. 3 Pierce each dried lime with a fork (to release flavor) and add to the pot. Continue simmering, covered, for another hour until the lamb is almost tender and easily pierced with a fork.
4. 4 Add the soaked chickpeas and white beans to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, then add the potato cubes. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are soft and the beans are fully tender – they should mash easily when pressed (about 30–45 minutes). Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. 5 Remove the dried limes from the pot (they are tough and not meant to be eaten whole). Strain the broth into a separate serving bowl, leaving the solids (lamb, beans, potato) in the pot.
6. 6 Serve the hot broth first, with torn flatbread (sangak, lavash, or pita) for dipping. Then, mash the solids together with a fork or potato masher into a coarse paste (gusht-koobideh). Serve this paste alongside bread, raw onion wedges, and fresh herbs if desired.