Dizi-ye Goosfand (دیزیِ گوشتِ گوسفند) – “Lamb Dizi” is the heartiest of Persian one-pot meals: lamb shanks, chickpeas and white beans slow-cooked with potatoes, tomatoes, dried limes and turmeric in a small stone or clay crock called a dizi. When it reaches melting tenderness, the broth (āb) is poured off and enjoyed like soup with torn flatbread, while the remaining solids are mashed into a rich pâté called goosht-kubideh and scooped up with more bread – two courses from one pot. In bazaars and old-style dizi-sarā cafés, strangers still share a tableful of these bubbling crocks, then linger over tea and debate politics – a ritual that earned the dish a reputation as Iran’s most sociable comfort food. cyruscrafts
Core Ingredients (4–5 individual crocks)
| Ingredient | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb shanks, cut in 2–3 cm pieces | 800 g | 1¾ lb |
| Chickpeas, soaked overnight | 150 g | ¾ cup |
| White beans, soaked overnight | 150 g | ¾ cup |
| Potatoes, peeled & halved | 400 g | 3 med. |
| Tomatoes, quartered | 300 g | 2 large |
| Onion, quartered | 1 large | 1 large |
| Dried limes (limu amani), pierced | 3–4 | 3–4 |
| Tomato paste | 2 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp | 1 tsp |
| Cinnamon (optional) | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| Salt & pepper | to taste | to taste |
| Water | ≈1.8 L | ≈7 ½ c |
| Sangak or lavash bread | plenty | — |
Quick Preparation
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Layer & start – Divide meat, legumes, onion, dried limes and spices among the crocks; add tomato paste, tomatoes and potatoes on top. Cover with water so everything is submerged by 2 cm.
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Slow cook – Seal crocks with foil or lids and simmer very gently (or bake at 160 °C / 320 °F) 3–4 h until lamb falls from the bone and beans are creamy.
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Separate – Strain each crock: ladle the clear, saffron-gold broth into one bowl (āb). Transfer solids to another bowl.
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Mash – With a wooden pestle (goosht-kub) or potato masher, pound meat, potatoes and legumes into a coarse purée, adjusting salt.
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Serve – Tear bread into the broth to make tilit (soaked soup) and spoon up. Spread the mash on more bread, topping each bite with fresh herbs, raw onion, torshi pickles and a squeeze of lime.
Variations
| Name | Twist |
|---|---|
| Dizi-ye Bandari | Adds hot peppers & cumin for a Persian-Gulf kick. |
| Dizi-ye Bozbāsh | Replaces tomato with herb-heavy green sauce. |
| Kalle-Dizi | Made with lamb head & trotters for collagen-rich broth. |
| Pressure-Pot Shortcut | 45 min on high after coming to pressure delivers near-traditional texture for weeknights. |
Pairing Tips
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Sides: sabzi-khordan herb platter, torshi pickles, mast-o-musir yogurt dip.
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Drink: ice-cold doogh (minty yogurt soda) during the meal, strong black tea with rock candy after.
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Leftovers: mix mashed solids with an egg, pan-fry into crisp patties for breakfast – a thrift tactic born after historic Persian famines. cyruscrafts
Nutritional Snapshot (per two-course serving)
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≈ 620 cal 36 g protein 23 g fat 66 g carbs
High in iron, zinc, B-vitamins and collagen; the dried-lime broth supplies vitamin C and gut-soothing acidity.
Slow-cooked, thrifty, and irresistibly communal, Lamb Dizi turns simple pantry staples into a feast that invites conversation as much as nourishment.
