Lamb Stew

It is a very cold day today and I wanted to make something hot, spicy and comforting. I was browsing through the aisles of the supermarket and found this beautiful pieces of lamb for stew at a very amazing price. I found a lamb stew recipe in my reliable cook book and obviously I made some changes to make it feel Indian. Here is the ‘how to make for it’.

Ingredients:
3 guajillo chillies, seeded (these are the flat chillies and I sometimes use them for tempering of Indian curries)
1 ancho chilli, seeded (you can use the regular dried indian chilli instead)
1/2 cup hot water
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 – 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 kg boneless lamb
200gms potatoes, cut into think slices
salt

1. Tear chillies and soak them in hot water for 30 minutes
2. Add garlic, ground spices, and the soaked chillies and make a smooth paste
3. In a large pan, heat oil and stir fry the lamb cubes in batches until they are brown on all sides (you dont have to cook them completely at this step)
4. Return all the lamb cubes to the same pan, spread them out and then cover them with a layer of potato slices.
5. Add salt and put a lid on the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. Pour the chilli mixture and mix well.
7. Add the bay leaf, replace the lid and cook on low heat for about 1 hour or until the meat and potatoes are tender. If you use lean lamb the cooking time can be reduced.
8. Serve with steamed white rice.

I was a bit skeptical to add the soaked chillies but the chillies added a lot of depth and richness to the stew.

Mom’s tip:

If you want more heat to the dish add some red chilli powder or add some more of the ancho or dried red chillies.