This recipe for cooking Abgoosht split peas and Omani lemons with saffron builds a warming lamb broth with tender potatoes, yellow split peas and the deep citrus flavour of dried Omani limes.
The stew needs unhurried heat. Brown the meat and onions first, simmer until the lamb is nearly tender, then add the potatoes and dried limes late enough that neither one dissolves into the broth.
Abgoosht with split peas and Omani lemons ingredients
- Lamb shoulder or forequarter, preferably with some bone: 750 grams
- Potatoes: 4 small or medium
- Yellow split peas: 100 grams
- Onions: 2
- Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
- Dried Omani limes: 3
- Butter: 3 tablespoons, or a smaller amount of rendered lamb tail fat
- Hot water: about 6 cups, plus more if needed
- Salt, black pepper and turmeric: as needed
- Finely ground or brewed saffron: as needed
The earlier ingredient “meat (head)” appears to refer to a forequarter cut rather than head meat. Lamb shoulder or another slow-cooking cut is the practical choice because it becomes tender during the long simmer.
Soak the split peas and dried limes
Rinse the 100 grams of split peas and soak them in cool water for 1 hour, then drain. This gives the peas a head start without cooking them until they disappear.
Rinse the 3 dried Omani limes. Pierce each one several times with a skewer, cover with warm water and soak for about 20 minutes. Drain before adding them to the pot. If a lime is cracked open, remove its seeds because they can make the broth harsh.
Brown the onions and lamb
Finely chop the 2 onions. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a heavy pot over medium heat, or use enough rendered lamb tail fat to coat the base. Add the onions and cook until golden.
Cut the 750 grams of lamb into large stew pieces. Add them to the hot onion and turn until the surfaces change colour. Work in a single layer if the pot is narrow so the meat browns instead of steaming.
Rendered tail fat gives a fuller flavour, but butter is a valid alternative. Use the amount that suits the cut of meat; a well-marbled shoulder may need less added fat.
Fry the split peas, spices and tomato paste
Add the drained split peas and stir for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in turmeric and black pepper, then add the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
Cook the paste against the base of the pot until it turns a little darker and loses its raw smell. Keep the mixture moving so the split peas do not catch.
Simmer the Abgoosht slowly
Pour in about 6 cups of hot water. The earlier instruction says to add “beer,” but the cooking context is a standard hot-water simmer; beer is not part of the ingredient list and is not needed here.
Bring the pot just to a boil, skim any foam, then lower the heat. Cover partly and simmer gently until the lamb is close to tender, usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the cut.
Check the liquid occasionally. Add more hot water only when the solids are no longer comfortably surrounded by broth. Cold water can stall the simmer and extend the cooking time.
Add the potatoes and Omani lemons
Peel and wash the 4 potatoes. Leave small ones whole; halve larger potatoes so they finish at roughly the same time.
Add the potatoes and soaked Omani limes once the lamb is almost tender. Season with salt, then simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes. Avoid pressing the limes against the pot because their bitter inner pith can dominate the broth.
A tender potato shows that the vegetables are ready, but it is not the only test for the dish. The lamb should separate easily under a fork and the split peas should be soft without turning the entire broth into a paste.
Finish the Abgoosht with saffron
Add finely ground saffron bloomed in a little hot water during the final 10 minutes. For a concentrated infusion, see the best way to brew saffron.
Taste after the saffron has dispersed. Adjust salt and black pepper, then remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes so the broth settles.
Serve the broth and solids
You can serve this Abgoosht as a chunky bowl with broth, lamb, split peas and potato together. For a more separated presentation, ladle the broth into bowls first and place the solids on a platter to mash or eat alongside bread.
Remove the whole dried limes before mashing any solids. Their flavour has already moved into the broth, while crushing the shells can add unnecessary bitterness.
Omani lemon alternatives
If whole dried Omani limes are unavailable, add dried lime powder a little at a time near the end. Ghora powder, made from sour unripe grapes, is the other alternative in the earlier recipe, but it tastes different and should be adjusted by tasting rather than substituted spoon for spoon.
The finished stew should have a savoury lamb base, soft split peas and a clean dried-citrus edge. Saffron belongs in the background, rounding the broth without erasing the Omani lemon.
