Persian Lamb Stew

:en.rafed.net

2013/09/21

1070

Ingredients

    1 tbsp turmeric
    2 tsp black pepper
    1 1/2 tsp salt
    1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    2 medium onions, minced
    3 lbs lamb stew meat cut into chunks
    3 tbsp tomato paste
    1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
    4 cups steamed basmati rice

Servings: 8 servings

In a small dish, mix together turmeric, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper seasoning.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high till hot (not smoking). Saute for 10 minutes until onion softens and starts to turn golden brown.

Add the lamb stew meat to the pot. You can use bone-in lamb meat, boneless meat, or a combination of the two. Sprinkle the seasonings evenly across the top of the meat.

Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the meat chunks have browned on all sides (about five minutes).

Cover the meat with about 4 cups of warm water. Bring mixture to a slow boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer on medium low heat for two hours.

Use a large shallow spoon to skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid every 30 minutes.

After 2 hours, add tomato paste to the pot and stir slowly until paste dissolves into the broth.

Simmer for another 20 minutes uncovered till the meat is nice and tender and the sauce has thickened. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if desired.

Garnish the stew with fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve lamb and sauce over freshly steamed basmati rice.