Abgoosht (Dizi)

Easy·20 min

A rustic Iranian lamb and chickpea stew slow-cooked in a stone crock, then split into a fragrant broth and a mashed-meat paste eaten in two stages.

Born in the modest kitchens of old Persia, abgoosht earned its everyday name dizi from the heavy stone or clay crock it cooks in. Cooks discovered that slow simmering wrung every drop of nourishment from cheap lamb, chickpeas and white beans, and the ritual of straining the broth, mashing the solids with a wooden pestle and tearing bread into the soup became a beloved working-man's meal across the country.

The broth is deep, tangy with dried lime, and warming. The mashed gusht is soft and savory, smeared on bread and brightened by sharp pickles and raw onion. Two textures, one comforting meal.

Long gentle simmering breaks down lamb collagen and bean starches into a gelatin-rich broth, while dried limes add fermented sourness that cuts the fat.

Variations

Dizi sangi (stone-pot version), with eggplant, with extra dried lime, beef instead of lamb

On the Palate

Where Abgoosht (Dizi) sits in the Persian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

How it's made

8 steps · 20 min

1
12 min
Brown lamb shanks or stew pieces with chopped onion in a heavy pot.
Watch out
Brown the lamb and onions well before adding liquid — this seared base gives the broth its deep, meaty color and taste.
2
5 min
Add soaked chickpeas, white beans, turmeric, and water; bring to a boil.
3
120 min
Lower heat and simmer covered for about two hours until meat is tender.
Watch out
Keep the heat at a lazy simmer for the full two hours — a rolling boil toughens the meat instead of melting the collagen.
4
10 min
Add peeled potatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried limes pierced with a fork.
Watch out
Pierce the dried limes before they go in — that lets their tangy sourness seep out to cut the richness of the fat.
5
40 min
Continue simmering until potatoes are soft and the broth is rich.
6
5 min
Season with salt and pepper; strain the broth into bowls.
7
8 min
Mash the solid meat, beans, and potatoes into a smooth paste with a pestle.
Watch out
Mash the meat, beans, and potato until it's a smooth, spreadable paste with no lumps — that texture is the whole point of the gusht.
8
5 min
Serve broth with torn bread first, then the mashed gusht with herbs and pickles.