This Persian meat and potato stew, known as abgoosht or dizi, is a slow-simmered comfort dish with tender lamb, creamy beans, and soft-yet-sturdy potatoes, all steeped in a deeply aromatic tomato-onion broth. A cinnamon stick gently tames the gaminess of the lamb, while a mix of chickpeas, red kidney, and white beans adds layers of texture from plump and creamy to hearty and lush. This recipe is dairy and gluten free.

Abgoosht literally translates to ‘meat water‘ (I know, not great), and that translation really doesn’t do it justice.

he finished Abgoosht served in a white bowl, showing the rich, red broth and a generous amount of solid ingredients like lamb chunks, beans, and tomatoes, with a gold spoon resting in the bowl.

🌟Dry vs. canned beans in this recipe

During recipe testing, I found that cooking the beans from scratch gives the best flavor because they absorb the flavors of the stew as they cook better than canned even though I pre-cook my beans in an Instant Pot (you can also soak and boil the beans, and both instructions are provided).

That said, canned beans are a great shortcut if you’re short on time. They’ll still soak up plenty of flavor in the broth.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

A flat lay of all the raw ingredients labeled, including lamb shoulder, red kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, potatoes, yellow onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, and water.
  • lamb shoulder – my grandmother taught me to always uses lamb shoulder in this recipe, but you can substitute with lamb stew meat. This recipe also works with beef.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

  • A hand using a small strainer to skim foam and impurities from lamb pieces boiling in a large white enameled pot.
    Place the lamb in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
  • Lamb, diced onion, and slices of garlic submerged in a yellowish broth in a white enameled pot.
    Add the garlic, onions, spices (including 1 teaspoon of salt), and beans to the pot. Pour in just enough of the bean water (and boiling water if you run out) to fully cover the ingredients. The less water, the more flavorful, so try and use as little as possible to get the ingredients covered.
  • The stew cooking further, with a richer, more orange-red color.
    Cover, and cook for 2 hours on the lowest simmer.
  • The stew at a later stage of cooking, appearing thicker, with the tomatoes and other vegetables slightly breaking down.
    Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the tomato paste, diluting it with a bit of broth before returning it to the pot. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and season again with salt and pepper after tasting the broth.
  • A hand holding a light blue ladle, scooping a serving of the thick stew, showing pieces of lamb, potatoes, beans, and tomato.
    Bring the stew back to a boil, then continue cooking uncovered for another 45 minutes. Do a final taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
  • A close-up of a dark stone mortar and pestle being used to mash a portion of the solid ingredients from the stew into a thick paste.
    Alternative serving: First, pull out the meat, potatoes, and beans and mash them into a rich, savory paste. Serve on toast.

🏆 Smash it up!

Candice Recommends

Once your stew is fully cooked, serve it in two traditional ways. First, pull out the meat, potatoes, and beans and mash them into a rich, savory paste known as goosht kubideh that is delicious on toast. Then, ladle the flavorful broth over torn pieces of warm flatbread to create tileet, a comforting, soul-satisfying dish that many consider the best part.

🥗 What to Eat With Abgoosht

Bread and sabzi khordan. I prefer barbari for the goosht kubideh, and torn up pieces of barbari or sangak in the broth. Pita and lavash are good options, too.

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he finished Abgoosht served in a white bowl, showing the rich, red broth and a generous amount of solid ingredients like lamb chunks, beans, and tomatoes, with a gold spoon resting in the bowl.
Author: Candice Walker

Abgoosht (Persian Lamb & Bean Stew)

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This Persian meat and potato stew, known as abgoosht or dizi, is a slow-simmered comfort dish with tender lamb, creamy beans, and soft-yet-sturdy potatoes, all steeped in a deeply aromatic tomato-onion broth.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Bean Soaking & Pre-Cooking9 hours 30 minutes
Total Time12 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Middle-Eastern, Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 6
Calories: 576kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. lamb boneless* shoulder preferred, or stew meat, fat trimmed, and cut into 2-2.5-inch chunks
  • 4 oz. chickpeas ~1/2 cup dry
  • 2 oz. red kidney beans ~1/4 cup dry
  • 2 oz. white beans ~1/4 cup dry
  • 5 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 yellow onion large, or 2 small, peeled and diced
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1.2 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 lb. potatoes yukon gold or red, peeled and cut into 1.5" chunks
  • ¾ lb. tomatoes roma or vine, quartered

Instructions

  • Cook the beans**.
    If using an InstantPot: Cook with 1.5 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt on high pressure for 45 minutes, then manual release.
    If using the stovetop: Soak the beans overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours, changing the water 1-2 times during the soaking process. Simmer for 1.5 hours in 8-10 cups of water and 1 teaspoons of salt.
    4 oz. chickpeas, 2 oz. red kidney beans, 2 oz. white beans
  • Place the lamb in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
    2 lbs. lamb
  • Add the garlic, onions, spices (including 1 teaspoon of salt), and beans to the pot. Pour in just enough of the bean water (and boiling water if you run out) to fully cover the ingredients. The less water, the more flavorful, so try and use as little as possible to get the ingredients covered.
    5 garlic cloves, 1 yellow onion, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 cinnamon stick, 1.2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt
  • Cover, and cook for 2 hours on the lowest simmer.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the tomato paste, diluting it with a bit of broth before returning it to the pot. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and season again with salt and pepper after tasting the broth.
    3 tbsp tomato paste, 1 lb. potatoes, 3/4 lb. tomatoes
  • Bring the stew back to a boil, then continue cooking uncovered for another 45 minutes. Do a final taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Notes

* If using boneless, you can ask the butcher for a few lamb bones to add to the stew that you will remove before serving. This adds extra flavor.
** You can use canned beans and skip this step. 2 cans will suffice. Opt for 1 chickpea and 1 white bean.
Alternative serving: First, pull out the meat, potatoes, and beans and mash them into a rich, savory paste. Serve on toast. Pour the broth over torn pieces of bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 940mg | Potassium: 1089mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 614IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

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