
Aabgoosht aka Dizi – Persian Lamb Beans and Potato Stew
A while back my Maman sent me these beautiful Dizi stone pots. I finally used them for the very first time to cook delicious Aabgoosht over charcoal on my BBQ. But don’t worry, if you don’t have a garden, a BBQ or Dizi pots. You can prepare Aabgoosht in a regular pan on your stove.
Aabgoosht is a traditional Persian potato bean and lamb stew. The name aabgoosht literally translates to ‘water meat’, perhaps because the original recipe, that’s hundreds of years old, consisted only of meat, legumes and water. This made it a nutritious, high in energy dish.

Nowadays Aabgoosht has more ingredients, making it more delicious but just as nutritious. Every region, if not every family, has their own recipe. It’s such a simple and flexible comfort food, ideal in these times that we can’t or shouldn’t leave the house to get specific ingredients. You can use whatever you have at hand!
If you prefer a vegetarian stew, leave out the meat. The legumes alone provide a great source of protein. Use any beans you have at home, dry or canned.
If you have special Dizi pots, you can add these ingredients to each of the pots to prepare one portion per pot.
If you cook your aabgoosht in a regular pan, multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you plan on making and transfer them all to the pan.

Ingredients (per portion)
80g / 2.8oz lamb shoulder, shanks or ribs (you could also use beef)
1/4 onion (approx. 30g)
1 heaped tbsp chickpeas (canned or dried)
1 heaped tbsp beans (canned or dried) (I used navy beans but you could use any beans you have)
1 dried lime (optional)
1 garlic clove
1/2 medium size potato (40g)
1/2 tomato (40g)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Bread to serve

Method of cooking Aabgoosht
If you’re using dried chickpeas and beans, soak them in water, starting the night before. Change the water a couple of times, for example before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.
Cut the meat into large cubes. If you’re using ribs, leave the meat on the bones. The bones will give the stew extra flavour. Also the fattier the meat, the better. In Iran people use dombeh (lamb tail) because of its high fat content.
In a regular pan
Multiply the ingredients by the number of portions you want to prepare. Transfer all the ingredients to the pan and add just enough water to cover them.
Bring the stew to boil, then let it simmer over low to medium temperature for about 3 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added once in a while.
In Dizi pots
Transfer the ingredients to the Dizi pots (one portion each, or more, depending on the size of your pots). Add water until the ingredients are just covered.
In the oven: Place the pots on a tray and put it in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C / 325 degrees F / Gas mark 3 for 3 to 3.5 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added after half the cooking time.
On the BBQ: Fire up the charcoal and once it has turned white, place the pots in between the charcoal or on top of the BBQ grate. Especially in the beginning the temperature will be high and so I recommend placing the pots on the grate. Once the temperature lowers, you can put them in between the charcoal.
Let the aabgoosht simmer gently for about 3 hours. Make sure to add more charcoal as needed and check, if more water needs to be added once in a while.
Serve the aabgoosht
Once the meat is nice and tender, serve the aabgoosht. Traditionally the broth is served first, together with bread, that is torn into pieces and dropped in it to soak up all the delicious flavours.
Then the meat, beans and potatoes are served separately and mashed to be eaten on its own or on bread.
You can serve your aabgoosht with fresh herbs, pickled and/or red onions. Enjoy!

Aabgoosht/Dizi
Ingredients
- 80 g lamb shanks, ribs or shoulder (you could also use beef) (2.8 oz)
- 1/4 onion
- 1 heaped tbsp chickpeas (dried or canned)
- 1 heaped tbsp beans (dried or canned) (I used navy beans but you could use any beans you have)
- 1 dried lime (optional)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 medium size potato
- 1/2 tomato
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- bread to serve
Instructions
-
If you’re using dried chickpeas and beans, soak them in water, starting the night before. Change the water a couple of times, for example before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.
-
Cut the meat into large cubes. If you’re using ribs, leave the meat on the bones. The bones will give the stew extra flavour. Also the fattier the meat, the better. In Iran people use dombeh (lamb tail) because of its high fat content.
In a regular pan
-
Multiply the ingredients by the number of portions you want to prepare. Transfer all the ingredients to the pan and add just enough water to cover them.
-
Bring the stew to boil, then let it simmer over low to medium temperature for about 3 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added once in a while.
In Dizi pots
-
Transfer the ingredients to the Dizi pots (one portion each, or more, depending on the size of your pots). Add just enough water to cover them.
-
In the oven:Â Place the pots on a tray and put it in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C / 325 degrees F / Gas mark 3 for 3 to 3.5 hours. Make sure to check, if more water needs to be added after half the cooking time.
-
On the BBQ:Â Fire up the charcoal and once it has turned white, place the pots in between the charcoal or on top of the BBQ grate. Especially in the beginning the temperature will be high and so I recommend placing the pots on the grate. Once the temperature lowers, you can put them in between the charcoal.Â
-
Let the aabgoosht simmer gently for about 3 hours. Make sure to add more charcoal as needed and check, if more water needs to be added once in a while.
Serve the aabgoosht
-
Once the meat is nice and tender, serve the aabgoosht. Traditionally the broth is served first, together with bread, that is torn into pieces and dropped in it to soak up all the delicious flavours.Â
-
Then the meat, beans and potatoes are served separately and mashed to be eaten on its own or on bread.
-
You can serve your aabgoosht with fresh herbs, pickled and/or red onions. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you have any questions please let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to help.
I’d love to see your Aabgoosht! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
Wanna save this recipe for later? You can print out the printable version above or pin it to your recipe board.
Looking for more recipes? Here are my other Persian classics!
Do you wanna learn more about Persian cooking? Sign up to Maman’s recipe mail so you will get notified of new recipes on the blog.
Thanks for stopping by!
Related
You May Also Like

Salad Shirazi – Shirazi Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
May 21, 2020
Gheymeh Stew – Khoreshe Gheymeh
January 28, 2020
4 Comments
Hessam
Hi,
Can you tell me if you know where to buy the stone pots from please?
Thanks in advance
Hami
Hi Hessam, I was looking around a lot for these pots. I couldn’t find them anywhere here in the UK, so finally my mum sent them from Iran. I’m sorry, I know this isn’t helpful, unless you know someone in Iran who can send them to you.
Hessam
Thank you for replying, I guessed I might have to get them from Iran.
Thank you fro the recipes also!
Hami
My pleasure!