Abgoosht-e Dizi

Ingredients

• 700g lamb shank or neck on the bone
• 150g dried chickpeas
• 100g dried white beans
• 3 medium potatoes (about 500g)
• 2 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 dried Persian limes (limoo amani)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1.6 litres water
• Flatbread, raw onion and torshi pickles, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the chickpeas and white beans together in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain them.
• Peel and quarter the onions, and quarter the tomatoes.
• Peel the potatoes and cut each into two large chunks.
• Pierce the dried limes several times with a knife tip.

Steps

1. Put the lamb, drained chickpeas, beans, quartered onions and turmeric in a large heavy pot.
2. Pour in the water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
3. Skim off the grey foam that rises, then drop the heat right down.
4. Add the cinnamon stick, cover, and simmer for 2 hours until the meat is falling from the bone.
5. Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the tomato paste for 2 minutes until it darkens.
6. Stir the fried tomato paste, the quartered tomatoes, the potatoes and the salt into the pot.
7. Simmer covered for a further 40 minutes, until the potatoes are completely soft.
8. Add the pierced dried limes and simmer for a final 15 minutes.
9. Press the limes against the side of the pot to squeeze out their juice, then discard the skins and the cinnamon stick.
10. Taste the broth and season it with salt and black pepper until it is savoury and gently sour.
11. Strain the broth into a jug, leaving the solids in the pot.
12. Pull the meat off the bones and return it to the solids, discarding the bones.
13. Pound the meat, chickpeas, beans and potato with a masher or pestle until you have a thick, smooth paste.
14. Tear flatbread into four bowls and ladle the hot broth over it to serve as the first course.
15. Bring the pounded meat to the table on a plate with raw onion, pickles and more bread for the second course.