Lebanese Lamb Stew

3 tbsp vegetable oil
800g /1lb 12oz cubed lamb shoulder
1 onion, course chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice (not mixed spice)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli flakes
450ml/15fl oz lamb stock (or water)
2 generous Tbs tomato paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained
I small eggplant in large cubes
About 1 cup of butternut squash or sweet potato in large cubes
Fresh parsley and mint for garnish.

Heat the oil in a large tagine or casserole (you might call it Dutch oven). Fry the lamb, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until browned all over. Remove the lamb and set aside.

Fry the onion in the tagine for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Adding a little water after the first three minutes will keep the onion from burning and it will loosen all the brown bits in the pot from frying the meat.

Add the garlic and spices, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the stock or water, stir and bring to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Return the cooked lamb cubes to the tagine.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover with the tagine lid and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, checking occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened. (Add a little more stock if the mixture starts to dry out.)

Stir in the chickpeas and the vegetables and cook for a further 15 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle over the parsley and mint. . Serve with quinoa tabouleh, tzatziki and hummus (if you can afford the carbs.)


Serving Size: 4 to 6 servings - nut. info based on 4

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user PAPILLON57.