LAMB IN ALMOND SAUCE
RECIPES
Makes 4 to 6 servings Recipe adapted from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Spice Kitchen” by Madhur Jaffrey
Note: If you can’t find meat from the shoulder of a lamb or lamb stew meat, use beef stew meat. The taste will be different but still excellent. Don’t worry about authenticity — beef is eaten in some regions of India.
Combine the cloves, chilies, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, coconut, almonds, coriander seeds, nutmeg and mace in a heavy skillet over medium heat (if using ground coriander, nutmeg or mace, leave those spices out). Stir until all the spices are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes (at this point, add the ground coriander, nutmeg or mace and stir for a few more seconds). Let spices cool a bit in a separate bowl, then grind finely in a spice grinder or blender, or with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Put the garlic, ginger, turmeric and ½ cup water into a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over fairly high heat. When hot, put in 7 or 8 pieces of meat at a time to brown. When each batch is brown on all sides, remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Continue to brown all the meat this way and set aside.
Put the onions into the same pot and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping up the juices for about 5 minutes, or until they turn dark in spots. Then lower the heat to medium and add the paste from the blender as well as the ground spices. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, gradually adding the yogurt as you do so, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Add the tomato sauce and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Add the meat and all accumulated juices to the sauce. Add the salt and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer gently for 1 hour. Stir a few times as it cooks. 625 calories, 36 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 7 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 47 g fat (13 g saturated), 119 mg cholesterol, 1,100 mg sodium