Abgoosht (Dizi)

• 1 kg lamb shanks or bone-in lamb neck (2.2 lb)
• 150 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (5 oz)
• 100 g dried white beans, soaked overnight (4 oz)
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 dried limes, pierced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 3 tomatoes, halved
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 L water
• 2 tsp salt
• sangak or lavash bread, raw onion, fresh herbs and torshi (pickles) to serve

Instructions

1. Put the lamb, drained chickpeas and beans, onions, turmeric and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.
2. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 2½ hours, until the meat is starting to come off the bone.
3. Add the tomato paste, dried limes, potatoes, tomatoes, cinnamon and salt. Simmer for another hour until the potatoes are soft.
4. Pick out the bones. Strain the broth into a bowl and keep it hot; put the meat, chickpeas, beans, potatoes and tomatoes in another bowl.
5. First course: tear bread into bowls and pour the hot broth over it (tilit).
6. Second course: pound the solids with a potato masher or pestle into a coarse, rustic paste (goosht-e koobideh). Season and eat with bread, raw onion, herbs and pickles.