Abgoosht aka Dizi – Persian Lamb Beans and Potato Stew
I often receive questions about where I got these stones. Well, they were passed down to me by my maman. She's not just my source of knowledge but also my supplier! If you don't have these stone pots, don't worry; you can still make Abgoosht in a regular pot on the stovetop.
Aabgoosht is a traditional Persian potato bean and lamb stew. The name Abgoosht translates to ‘water meat’, perhaps because the original recipe, which is hundreds of years old, consisted only of meat, legumes and water. This made it a nutritious, high-energy dish.
Nowadays Aabgoosht has more ingredients, making it more delicious but just as nutritious. Every region, if not every family, has their recipe. It’s such a simple and flexible comfort food and you can use whatever you have at hand!
If you prefer a vegetarian stew, leave out the meat. The legumes alone provide a great source of protein. Use any beans you have at home, dry or canned.
If you have special Dizi pots, you can add these ingredients to each of the pots to prepare one portion per pot.
If you cook your Abgoosht in a regular pot, multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you plan on making and transfer them all to the pot.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Ingredients (per portion)
80g / 2.8oz lamb shoulder, shanks or ribs (you could also use beef)
1/4 onion (approx. 30g)
1 heaped tbsp chickpeas (canned or dried)
1 heaped tbsp beans (canned or dried) (I used navy beans but you could use any beans you have)
1 dried lime (optional)
1 garlic clove
1/2 medium size potato (40g)
1/2 tomato (40g)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Bread to serve (Iranian Sangak or Barbari are the best if you can find it)
Time
Preparation: 5 min Cooking time in a regular pot: 2 h In Dizi pot in the oven: 3 h In Dizi Pot on the BBQ: 3 h
Method of cooking Abgoosht
If you’re using dried chickpeas and beans, soak them in water, starting the night before. Change the water a couple of times before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.
Cut the meat into large cubes. If you’re using ribs, leave the meat on the bones. The bones will give the stew extra flavour. Also the fattier the meat, the better. In Iran, people use dombeh (lamb tail) because of its high-fat content.
In a regular pot
Multiply the ingredients by the number of portions you want to prepare. Transfer all the ingredients to the pan and add just enough water to cover them.
Bring the stew to a boil, then let it simmer over low to medium temperature for about 2 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added once in a while.
In Dizi pots
Transfer the ingredients to the Dizi pots (one portion each, or more, depending on the size of your pots). Add water until the ingredients are just covered.
In the oven: Place the pots on a tray and put them in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C / 325 degrees F / Gas mark 3 for 3 to 3.5 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added after half the cooking time.
On the BBQ: Fire up the charcoal and once it has turned white, place the pots in between the charcoal or on top of the BBQ grate. Especially in the beginning, the temperature will be high so I recommend placing the pots on the grate. Once the temperature lowers, you can put them in between the charcoal.
Let the Aabgoosht simmer gently for about 3 hours. Make sure to add more charcoal as needed and check, if more water needs to be added occasionally.
Serve the Abgoosht
Once the meat is nice and tender, serve the Abgoosht. Traditionally the broth is served first, together with bread, that is torn into pieces and dropped in it to soak up all the delicious flavours.
Then the meat, beans and potatoes are served separately and mashed to be eaten on their own or with bread.
You can serve your Abgoosht with fresh herbs like basil and tarragon, pickled and/or red onions. Enjoy!
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
I’d love to see your Abgoosht! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
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