Abgoosht | Persian lamb Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lamb neck or 1 lamb shanks
- 2 onions medium
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 can chopped tomatoes
- 3 potatoes Large - peeled & quartered
- 2 dried limes
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed
- 1 can white beans rinsed
- salt
- pepper
- water
- Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp allspice optional
Instructions
- Rough chop the onions. Place them in a heavy pot with meat, garlic, cinnamon stick and add enough water to cover the top.
- Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook it covered for 1 ½ -2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
- Once done, place a colander over a bowl and pour everything in it. Separate the meat from the bones, and squeeze out all the juice from the onion and garlic and leave the pits out.
- Fry the Turmeric in one tbsp of oil along with tomato paste and then add chopped tomatoes, stir for 2-3 minutes until it changes color. You end up with better colour and richer flavours. *Sundried tomatoes are optional but believe me when I say they take this dish to another level.*With my experience, adding 1 tsp of allspice makes a major difference.*Tomato paste can also be dissolved in the broth.
- Add the cooked meat to the pot along with potatoes, dried lime, chickpeas, beans, broth, season well with salt and pepper. Add a good amount of salt because of the beans and potatoes. Cover and cook for an hour over medium-low heat.
- After everything is cooked and all flavours are incorporated well together, empty the content of the pot in the colander. Separate the broth from the rest of the ingredients. Return the broth to the pot and adjust seasoning if needed. Then start to mash all the solids (meat, beans, potatoes, and tomatoes) with a meat masher.
- The mashed meat and broth are served separately. The broth is eaten first like a soup, Persians enjoy it by putting a few pieces of Persian bread in it. (mostly toasted Sangak). And then the mashed meat is enjoyed with Sabzi Khordan, Salad-Shirazi, and any Type of Torshi especially Liteh.
Notes
In the most traditional way of making this classic Persian dish is to add all the ingredients in one big heavy pot and cook it on low heat for several hours.
As a chef I like to personalise most of the dishes I cook, and this recipe would represent my way of cooking this traditional dish.
It may look difficult with a lot of step, but trust me and you won’t regret.
As a chef I like to personalise most of the dishes I cook, and this recipe would represent my way of cooking this traditional dish.
It may look difficult with a lot of step, but trust me and you won’t regret.