Mark Bittman is one of my favorite chefs and this recipe is a favorite in our household. Literally, just writing the title made my mouth water. I’ve made this on occasion when we’ve had people over and I always get compliments. It does take a little time but it is ridiculously easy!
So just go ahead and indulge a little…!
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes OR 3-4 lbs bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, cut into chunks
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- 2 cups onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp curry powder OR garam masala
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
- 1-1/2 cups stock or water
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Roast the lamb chunks without oil, turning once or twice until brown all over (approx 20 min), sprinkling them with salt and pepper as you turn it.
- Remove the meat and set aside.
- Drain off all but 2 tbsp of the fat.
- Cook the sliced onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (approx 10-15 minutes) in the saved fat.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and all the remaining spices.
- Stir and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the chopped onion softens.
- Return the lamb to the pot along with the stock.
- Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to low and bubble gently until the lamb is tender (at least 1 hour).
- Remove the cover, and if the mixture is too soupy, turn the heat to high and reduce it a bit.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Stir in the yogurt, remove from the heat, and serve garnished with the cilantro.
If you prefer, instead of using the oven at the beginning, you could fry the lamb chunks. Replace the first two steps with those listed below:
- Put the oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid or a large Dutch oven over med-high heat.
- When hot, add the lamb chunks a few at a time and brown them on all sides, removing them as they brown and sprinkling them with salt and pepper as they cook.