Piti (Azerbaijani Lamb and Chickpea Stew)

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb (700g) lamb shoulder or mutton, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup (200g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 4 tbsp (60g) lamb tail fat, diced, or butter
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 8 dried plums (alycha), or 4 fresh sour plums
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp dried mint
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups (1.4L) water, approximately
• Flatbread, for serving

Before you cook

• Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of water overnight.
• Drain the soaked chickpeas.
• Steep the saffron threads in the hot water and set aside.
• Quarter the onion.
• Cut the lamb into large chunks.
• Peel and halve the potatoes.
• Pit the dried plums if needed.

Steps

1. Divide the drained chickpeas evenly among four small clay pots.
2. Place the lamb chunks on top of the chickpeas in each pot.
3. Add a piece of onion and a piece of tail fat to each pot.
4. Pour in enough water to cover the ingredients by about an inch.
5. Set the pots over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
7. Stir the saffron water into each pot.
8. Cover the pots and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.
9. Add the potatoes and dried plums to each pot.
10. Continue simmering, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the lamb is fork-tender.
11. Season each pot with salt, pepper, and dried mint in the last 10 minutes.
12. Ladle the broth from each pot into a separate bowl and serve it first with flatbread.
13. Mash the remaining lamb, chickpeas, and potatoes together in the pot with a fork.
14. Serve the mashed lamb and chickpea mixture as the second course.