Abgoosht Recipe: Tips and Tricks for a Delicious Persian Meal
Abgoosht Recipe
The recipe for abgoosht is a very hearty, flavor bomb stew from Iran, commonly known to contain meat, beans, potatoes, and tomatoes that mostly need to be simmered for hours, so that the blending of the tastes is uniform. Mostly, this dish is served with bread as a filling meal. Follow this simple recipe to make Abgoosht at home.
Abgoosht Recipe
Ingredients for four servings
- 600 g bone-in lamb shank
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup navy beans
- 2 dried limes (optional)
Seasonings and additional ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Step 1: Soak the Chickpeas
Begin by placing chickpeas in a bowl. Add two glasses of water, letting them soak for six hours. Remember to change the water twice during this period.
Step 2: Prepare the Ingredients
Once soaked, drain the chickpeas using a strainer. Add the chickpeas, navy beans, and a bone-in lamb shank to a large pot.
Step 3: Add Vegetables
Cut tomatoes and onions in half. Add these to the pot with the beans and meat.
Step 4: Boil the Ingredients
Pour eight glasses of water into the pot. Place the pot on high heat and bring to a boil.
Step 5: Skim the Foam
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface of the water and discard it.
Step 6: Season the Abgoosht
Add black pepper and turmeric to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid.
Step 7: Add Potatoes
After cooking for 2 hours and 30 minutes, peel and wash the potatoes. Add them to the pot.
Step 8: Add Dried Lemon and Salt
Remove the seeds from the dried lemon and discard them. Add the lemon and salt to the pot.
Step 9: Prepare Tomato Paste
In a small pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add tomato paste and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 10: Combine Tomato Paste with Stew
Add the sautéed tomato paste to the pot. Continue cooking the stew for another hour.
Step 11: Blend Onions and Fat
After the stew has cooked, remove the onions and any meat fat. Blend these ingredients together.
Step 12: Finalize the Stew
Add the blended onion and fat mixture back to the pot. Stir well to combine.
Step 13: Serve
Pour the finished Abgoosht into a serving bowl. Accompany with chopped Sangak bread.
Note on Spices
You can personalize your Abgoosht with additional spices like dried lemon powder, cinnamon, ginger powder, or dried fenugreek powder according to your taste.
Cooking Time Tip
For the best flavor, cook Abgoosht on a gentle heat throughout all stages. The longer and slower it cooks, the more flavorful and colorful the stew will be.
Recipe Summary
Abgoosht is a powerful Persian Stew, first with the soaking of chickpeas, then cooked with navy beans. Cook one bone-in lamb shank and halved tomatoes and onions in water. After boiling and removing the foam, add black pepper, turmeric, potatoes, dried lemon, and salt. The tomato paste then fries the oil in a way before it, too, is returned into the stew. What follows is the blending and mixing back into the pot of the cooked onions and fats. It’s served with Sangak bread and is further spiced with the likes of dried lemon powder, cinnamon, and ginger.