Abghust

Method

1. Put the lamb, onions, aubergine, tomatoes, dried limes and turmeric into a large pan. Pour in about 2 litres of water, or enough to just cover the lamb. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. Bring to the boil over a high heat then reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ hours.

3. Add the chickpeas and potatoes and simmer for a further 45 minutes, adding more water if needed.

4. Remove the lamb from the broth and set aside. Pour the remaining stew through a sieve into a smaller pan and keep the resulting broth warm over a low heat.

5. Transfer the solid ingredients in the sieve into a large bowl, removing and discarding the dried limes. Pull the lamb meat off the bone and add to the other ingredients in the bowl, discarding the bone.

6. Pound the lamb and other ingredients together to create a coarse paste (a large pestle and mortar works well).

7. Ladle the broth into individual serving bowls and serve as a soup with the pounded meat mixture on separate dishes. Accompany with flatbreads and Iranian pickles.