Abgusht, Lamb Stew

Ab-e gush! ra ziad kon, is what you might hear the hostess telling her cook when you arrive at someone's house unexpectedly. This phrase, which means increase the water of Abgusht, is a very popular joke among Iranians. Abgusht is supposed to be a very flexible meal, one that can easily be expanded when unexpected guests arrive for dinner.
Abgusht, which in Persian means the water of the meat, is one of the most popular dishes in Iran. It is supposedly a poor man's meal, but in fact it is a popular dish with all housewives. It is said that Azarbaijani housewife knows how to prepare the best Abgusht. In that part of the country, Abgusht is cooked in a crock for half a day on a very low grill over hot ashes. The secret ofa good Abgusht is the right seasoning and slow cooking.
Basic Abgusht can be varied in several ways. Some people preter to make it watery, serving the broth as a soup and the meat and the rest of the ingredients separately. Others use less water and let it cook until a very thick broth remains. The following is a short listing of the most delicious Abgushts:

Abgusht, Iamb stew hash.
Abgusht-e Adas. lentil soup.
Abgusht-e Bademjan, Iamb stew with eggplant.
Abgusht-e Beh. quince soup.
Abgusht-e Gholveh.sauteed Iamb kidneys.Gusht-e kubideh, pounded meat soup. Abgusht-e Lubia Ghermez, Iamb stew with kidney beans.
Abgtlsht-e Miveh, dried fruit soup. Abgusht-e Sib, apple and sour cherry soup.