Lamb, Eggplant and Spinach Curry

Adapted from “From Curries to Kebabs”, by Madhur Jaffrey

All spice blends are available through Kitchen Porch!  More eggplant can be added to this dish which will stretch out the quantity and eliminate the need for adding water towards end of cooking.   This recipe yields a mild-medium spicy Indian dish.  For a spicier version, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne and go from there...

Serves 6-8

3 lbs of boneless lamb shoulder cut into 1” chunks (if boneless is not available, you can buy 5 lbs of shoulder chops and cut meat off - bones and scraps can be frozen and used for broth)3 Tablespoons of peeled and grated fresh ginger10 cloves of garlic, crushed¼ Cup ground coriander seedOlive oil2 C white onion, peeled and finely sliced1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1”chunks2 Tablespoons Urfa Berber1 Tablespoon Raz el Hanout2 Tablespoons Turmeric2 Tablespoons Paprika (sweet)2 Tablespoons sea salt1 C plain yogurt1-9-10oz package of fresh baby spinach, washed very well and drained

Place the cubed lamb, ginger, garlic and coriander into a large bowl and stir well to combine. Let marinate for 1/2 hr.

Pour enough oil into a heavy frying pan to a depth of 1” and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté them until they are a light golden brown. Remove the onions and reserve the oil.

In a large lidded heavy sauce pot add about 1/4C of the oil used from the onions and heat over a medium flame. When the oil is hot add the meat together with the marinade ingredients. Brown the meat well. You may need to do this in several batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Add the eggplant, turmeric, Raz el Hanout, Urfa Berber and 2 tablespoon sea salt and stir to combine. Cook uncovered for 5 min. or so then cover the pot and lower the heat a bit. Cook for 10 min. stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and add 1/2 of the yogurt. Cook, stirring until the yogurt is absorbed. Add the remaining yogurt and stir cooking for another 10 min. You may need to add a bit of water to keep the curry from drying out. Add onions and stir well. Cover and simmer for about another 30-40 min. or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.  Ten minutes before serving, add the baby spinach and mix well.  Add more sea salt to preferred taste and serve with or over quinoa or rice along with other traditional Indian sides.

Photo Credit:  Marta Azzollini & Sheryl Dagostino