Punjabi masalah lamb

A spicy lamb dish that tastes great with other Indian dishes, or with some milder sides if you’re afraid it will be overload for your family. You can vary the amount of spices used to suit your own tastes, and you can also serve it with additional plain yogurt to cool it down if desired. Basmati rice or naan flatbread makes a great accompaniment, and we also had stir-fried mixed peppers (mild orange and yellow, and a few hot).

I simplified the traditional cooking methods somewhat and used my crock pot. By the end of the day, the lamb was amazingly tender…just what we wanted.

Punjabi Masalah Lamb

1 - 2 lbs lamb meat (I used two leg cuts)
2 - 3 T fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1 c tomato, grated or finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 t cayenne (or to taste)
1-1/2 c plain yogurt
1 t salt
1 t cumin seeds
1 - 2 t garam masalah (or mix of spices, shown below)
2 T lemon juice
2 T fresh coriander

Mix the ginger through the salt, and place the mixture with the meat into a crock pot. Heat to high, and then turn it down and cook on low for 4 hours or more. Ten to fifteen minutes before serving, add the cumin seeds, garam masalah, and lemon juice and stir. Sprinkle the coriander over the meat to serve.

Garam Masalah, Punjabi style
4 T coriander seeds
2 T cumin seeds
2 T black peppercorns
2 t cardamom seeds
1 t whole cloves
1 long cinnamon stick
Grind to a fine powder.

Image: Cyndi Lavin