Abgusht (Lamb stew)

“ Ab e gusht ra ziyad kon.” Is what you might hear the hostess telling her cook when you arrive at someones’ house unexpectedly. This phrase, which means increase the water of Abgusht is very popular joke among Iranians. Abgusht is supposed to be a very flexible meal, one which can easily be expanded when unexpected guests arrive for lunch.
Abgosht, which in Persian means the water of the meat, is one of the most popular dishes in Iran. It is supposedly a poor man’s meal, but in fact it is a popular with most people. It’s said that Azarbaijanis know how to prepare the best Abgusht. In the part of the country, Abgusht is cooked in a crock for half a day on very low grill hot ashes. The secret of a good Abgusht is the right seasoning and slow cooking.
Basic abgusht can be varied in several ways. Some people prefer not making it watery, serving the broth as a soup and the meat and the rest of the ingredients seperatly. Others use less water and let it cook until a very thick broth remains.
The following is a short listing of the most delicious Abgusht:
Abgusht, lamb stew hash
Abgusht e bademjan, lamb stew with eggplant
Abgusht e qulve, sautéed lamb kidneys
Abgusht e lubia qermez, lamb stew with kidney beans
Abgusht e qomri, lamb stew with qumri ( it’s a king of vegetables)
……
How to cook Abgusht

Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients :
1 lb stew beef or lamb, 1 lg onion (chopped) ,1 salt and pepper to taste ,1/2 ts tumerick, 1/2 ts saffron 1 2 large potatoes, 1/2 c chick peas, 2 tomatoes, 1 chopped eggplant (optional), 1 water
Instructions:
Put everything in a large pot and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours on a lowsetting. Add salt and pepper to taste and any other favorite soupflavorings. Make sure there is plenty of water. when done, thewater will have the consistency of a thick soup and the otheringredients will be well cooked.It can be eaten as a soup - however, traditionally, and the way welike it best - is to strain the broth and set aside. Smash the solidingredients into a thick paste with a potatoe masher and serve on aseparate plate. Serve the soup in bowls. Eat the soup with spoon andeat the paste on pita bread. We also use a condiment called Torshiwhich is a persian type of pickled relish - usually sour. Yummy andvery filling.
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