Dizi: Persian Lamb Chickpea Soup
The growing popularity of Middle Eastern-style cuisine, which has introduced a new generation to sheep meat through the likes of kebab platters, is pushing lamb prices through the roof in places like the United States, The Wall Street Journal reports today.
Casual and fine-dining restaurants are adding mutton dishes to their menus, the Journal reports, and consumption generally is rising — and along with it the prices.
This is a boon for New Zealand farmers, who account for one-third of the world’s exporters, and a pain in the pocket books of diners, who are seeing the cost of meals rise accordingly.
But it’s also a spur — or ought to be — for anyone looking to save a bit of money, and gain some new cooking experience, by trying out one or other of the related recipes at home.
Of all the Middle Eastern cuisines, Persian reserves the biggest pride of place for lamb dishes, partly because of an enduring cultural belief that lamb has medicinal qualities — in the same way, for instance, that European Jews often swear by chicken dishes as a form of “culinary penicillin.”
Here’s a failsafe Iranian recipe that, thanks to the other relatively cheap ingredients, shouldn’t be too expensive to make in these straitened lamb times, and will have four to six diners dizi with appreciation. نوش جان
Dizi - Persian Lamb Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
3 lamb shanks (about 3 pounds)
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed, soaked overnight
1 cup white beans, rinsed, soaked overnight
2 large onions, peeled and diced
4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut in half
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and cut in half
3 whole limoo amani (dried lemons) found in Persian grocery stores (If you find these a bit strong, as I do, use the juice of a freshly squeezed small lime instead)
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
A pinch of cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
7 cups of water
Method
1. In a large soup pot place the lamb shanks, add seven cups of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Skim the foam as they come to the surface in the beginning.
2. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, limoo amani, onions, chickpeas, beans, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about an hour.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet and lightly saute the tomato paste to lose its raw taste.
4. Add the sauteed tomato paste, tomatoes and the potatoes to the pot, cover and continue cooking for another hour.
5. When all the ingredients are fully cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the pot from the heat. Drain the soup through a sieve, remove the bones and mash the remaining ingredients using a masher.
To serve, ladle the broth into a large serving bowl and spoon the meat and potato mixture onto a serving platter. Serve with warm bread, pickles, yogurt and fresh herbs.