ABGOOSHT, MILLENNIAL PERSIAN STEW

Abgoosht is a stew that has been in Middle Eastern cuisine for thousands of years. This stew is prepared with: lamb bones, chickpeas, white beans, potatoes, tomatoes, paprika, and spices.

It is a tasty and high yield and a cheap dish that has always been prepared by the poorest. The current recipe contains fine spices and other vegetables. And it has become a must-have dish in Iranian cuisine.

The word "Abgoosht" means "meat broth." This famous meat broth contains, besides to meat, vegetables, spices, and legumes. That are then mixed with pieces of “sangak” or “lavash” bread.

How do you eat the Abgoosht?

When thinking of a stew, it is easy to imagine a single container filled with a mixture of meats, vegetables, and legumes in the same cup. But this dish is quite different, and its consumption is a family ritual.   

After cooking the stew over low heat for several hours, the cook separates all the solid elements from the broth, using a large strainer. The broth is served in individual small cups, one for each guest. The solid elements are presented in two ways, either all in a large plate to share, or they are crushed into a paste.

Additionally, the broth can contain a type of flat bread, chopped into pieces. It can be sangak or lavash. When the bread melts in the meat broth, the latter acquires the name "Tileet".

Iranians usually use a "goosht-koob" meat mortar to process all the solid ingredients. And then they serve them with yogurt sauce, radishes, fresh tomatoes, and a piece of very fine bread. Like our Naan recipe.

Variations of the Abgoosht

Older versions of the Abgoosht used second-rate cuts of meat, meaty lamb bones. The current versions use the shoulder of lamb, with enough meat, and also add beef often.

The addition of white beans and green beans seems to be a bit more recent as well.

About vegetables, there are also many variations, which depend on each cook. Some use green peppers, okra, or sour flavors such as sour green grapes (ghooreh) or dried lime.

This dish is quite modest, but it takes time to cook the ingredients. If you dare to do it, I recommend that you start cooking right after breakfast. And consider marinating the meats and soaking the beans the night before.

We will prepare an Abgoosht for four, you can adjust the quantities according to your needs. But this stew can be frozen for a couple of weeks, and it will still work great.