Lamb Chickpea Stew Recipes

ABGOOSHT (PERSIAN LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• The night before you plan to cook, season the lamb with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Place chickpeas and beans in a medium bowl; add 3 cups water and a generous pinch of salt. Refrigerate overnight.
• To cook: Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat. Add lamb, onions, tomato paste and 8 cups water. Drain chickpeas and beans and add to pot. Bring to a boil, stir to dissolve tomato paste, and cover pot partially with a lid. Reduce heat and simmer stew for 2 hours.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and Omani limes to pot and continue simmering until potatoes and meat are both completely tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper.
• Remove limes from pot, and one by one, juice them into the soup through a sieve by pressing down on them with a spoon. (Avoid letting the seeds through the sieve, as they can be bitter.) Taste the broth after juicing each lime and add just enough so that the broth is tangy and bright.
• Use the sieve to remove the meat, potatoes and beans from the pot and transfer them to a large bowl. Use a fork to pull the meat off the bones. If any of the bones have marrow, use a skewer to remove it and add to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mash meat, beans and potatoes into a soft, uniform paste - this is called goosht kubideh, literally "mashed meat." If the mixture appears dry, add a few spoonfuls of broth and continue to mash until unctuous and smooth. Taste the paste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and Omani lime juice, as needed.
• To serve, bring broth and goosht kubideh to the table, along with bowls of liteh pickles, salad-e Shirazi, warmed sangak bread, fresh herbs and, if you like, doogh. All of the sides serve as palate cleansers to balance the richness of the dish.
• Traditionally, the broth is eaten first with sangak bread, which can hold up to the broth without disintegrating. Typically, the bread is torn into bite-size pieces and added to broth to soak for a couple of minutes before digging in. This process is called tilit.
• Serve the goosht kubideh separately after everyone has had a bowl of broth. Traditionally the meat paste is made into small sandwiches with fresh herbs, and eaten with alternate bites of salad-e Shirazi and liteh pickle. Leftover goosht kubideh makes for a great sandwich or baby food, and freezes well for up to 2 weeks.

LAMB STEW WITH CHICKPEAS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Combine the spices and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture, add the lamb and coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a large pot. Add lamb a few pieces at a time; don't overcrowd. Turn the pieces until lamb is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add a teaspoon of oil as needed between batches.
• Remove the lamb and set aside. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the onion to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the lamb and remaining spice mixture. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the squash and chickpeas and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Stir 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into 2 tablespoons of flour to make a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the stew and cook until the broth thickens and the squash is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.

SPRING LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large soup pot. Season lamb pieces generously with salt and pepper, then add to pot. Stick the 4 cloves into the onion halves, and add them to the pot along with 6 cups water.
• Bring pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Put on the lid and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat. Skim off any rising fat. (At this point, you may set the dish aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, or refrigerate up to 2 days, though it really tastes best the day it is made.)
• When ready to serve, reheat lamb and chickpeas in broth. Put olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sizzle for a minute, add red pepper flakes, then add carrots and a ladle of the lamb broth. Simmer until carrots are done, about 5 minutes. Add the chard, a little salt and another splash of lamb broth. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring, until leaves are tender, a few minutes more. Add fava beans or peas, cover the pan, and turn off heat. They will cook nicely in the residual heat for 4 or 5 minutes.
• To serve, mound greens and vegetables on one side of a large serving platter. On the other side, place lamb pieces and ladle over some broth and chickpeas. Sprinkle with chopped mint.

SPICY LAMB WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Rinse the lamb and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a large pan and add tomatoes. Half fill the tomato can with water and add to the pan with the harissa paste and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1-11⁄4 hours, until the lamb is tender. Rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pan, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Roughly chop the coriander, then scatter over the dish. Serve with couscous or rice.

LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is tender.
• Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute or until aroma is released.
• Add the lamb and brown well, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the tomatoes, stock and juice.
• Bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender.
• Add the chickpeas and cook for a further 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the herbs and pepper and serve.

LAMB & AUBERGINE STEW WITH CRISPY CHICKPEA TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in flameproof casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened. Season the lamb and toss in the flour. Push the onion to the edge of the pan, add the lamb, then cook for a few mins on each side until nicely browned.
• Add the garlic, aubergine, peppers, ras el hanout and harissa. Cook for a few mins until the spices are aromatic. Add the tomatoes, sugar, 400ml water (fill the tomato can and swish it around to get all the bits out) and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to a simmer, cover, then cook over a low heat for 2 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the herbs to the lamb stew and tip into a daking dish. Tip the chickpeas into a bowl with the cumin seeds, remaining oil and some seasoning. Leaving about half the chickpeas whole, lightly crush remainder with a fork or potato masher. Add half the feta and mix through. Scatter over the stew, top with remaining feta, then bake for 45 mins until the topping is really crispy and the stew is hot. See tips on freezing, below left.