Lamb with Tamarind and Chiles

 

When I wrote the Facebook post just as I was starting to make the dish with sirloin that was on sale at my local grocery  store instead of the called-for lamb. It was not as delicious-it needs the gaminess of lamb but it was still pretty good. It is not a pretty dish so I  am putting up the cover of the book it comes from.  the Sephardic recipes come from all over the world.  This particular one is from India.

Lamb with Red Chilies and Tamarind

Recipe Claudia Roden,  The Book of Jewish Food, Alfred A. Knopf, 2001

I’ve posted the recipe as written by Ms. Roden but I find that the cooking times are not quite right  The potatoes don’t take that long to cook and the lamb found in the stores in the New York City area doesn’t seem to take that long to cook.  You have to play it by ear.

2 pounds onions, sliced or coarsely chopped

6 – 8 tablespoons vegetable oil  (I use ghee)

4 ½  pounds lamb shoulder

6 – 10 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cloves

8 – 10 tiny dried chiles (I use 4  – 5 arbol chiles)

3 lbs. tiny new potatoes

One 8-ounce canned coconut cream (not lite)

3 tablespoons tamarind paste

3 tablespoons sugar

Fry the onions in  3 – 4 tablespoons of oil on very low heat until soft and golden, keeping the lid on and stirring occasionally to keep the onions from burning. It may take 30 – 45 minutes because of the large quantity.

Trim off skin and excess but not all, fat from meat and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces.  Fry in 3 -4 tablespoons of oil in batches in a large heavy-bottomed pan, turning he pieces to brown them all over.

Add the garlic, cumin and coriander to the onions and stir well for a minute or so, then add the spiced onions to the meat.  Cover with about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Remove the scum and add cinnamon, cloves, and chilies, then simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 ½- 2 hours (I find that it takes less time), or until meat is very tender.

Now add  the well-washed potatoes and add about 2 ½ cups water (I don’t), just enough to cover.  Add the coconut milk, the tamarind and the sugar and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

 

 

 

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