Dizi - Iranian Lamb & Bean Stew

Binge watching Nigel Slater's Middle East, I just had to try some of the dishes.  Searching for a recipe for 'Dizi' as one wasn't detailed on the programme, I stumbled across the blog 'Turmeric & Saffron' containing a wealth of Persian cuisine, recipes, and stories.

Preparing traditional Dizi is a long drawn out process; soaking and cooking dried beans, long slow cooking, then straining off the broth, and mashing the stew.  So I've made it simpler...

Serves 4-6

1kg cubed lamb
1 can cannellini or haricot beans
2 large onions, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
A pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lamb or chicken stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Fry the onions in the oil until they start to brown.  Add the lamb and fry with the onions for 5-10 minutes.  Zest the lemon into the pan, juice it and add this to the pan together with the squeezed lemon halves.  Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to cover.  Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover for an hour, or place in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours on High.

The original recipe contained potatoes, so you could serve this with boiled or mashed potatoes.  We served it with brown rice to save the potatoes for Tandoori Sunday Roast Chicken the next day.

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