Goat/Lamb Lentil Curry
This dish is very hearty and easily feeds a big crowd. Now we know a lot of people that are not familiar with goat meat. It truly is one of our favorite proteins. It tends to be low in fat and full in flavor. If you can’t find goat or are afraid of it, then use lamb stew meat instead. We have a number of great Halals in our area, places where freshly butchered goat and lamb are usually available, so it is easy to pick up fresh amounts of either protein. We will just say here, if you can find the goat then you should give it a try. The other thing is to try and find fresh mace in your local Indian store as it is so much better than that little plastic jar you don’t know where it came from or how long it’s been in your spice rack.
6 to 8 servings
Soak time: 1 hour
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup yellow split pigeon peas
2 1/2 pounds goat or lamb stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
3 large white onions
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Indian chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions:
Clean the split pigeon peas and soak them in enough water to cover them by an inch for 1 hour.
Trim any excess fat off the meat then sprinkle Koser salt over all the pieces of meat. Transfer to a bowl and then add in the ginger garlic paste and massage that into the goat until it looks well and evenly coated. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
In the mean time, peel the onions. Dice one onion and cut the rest into half rings. Place the one chopped onion it in a blender along with ginger, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Blend on high speed until smooth and keep aside until ready to use.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn dark brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and transfer the onions to a platter lined with absorbent paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
Add the meat to the same pan on medium-high heat and sear the goat/lamb until well browned for about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove and transfer to a plate. Leave any fat that is left behind in the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion-ginger-garlic-puree to the pan and continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes with occasional stirring. Add all the coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, mace, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and cayenne and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes with constant stirring until the fat starts to separate and you get a thick paste. Drain the lentils, discard the soaking water, and add the lentils to the paste in the saucepan, followed by the browned meat pieces and any juices that might have been released. Add 3 cups of stock, raise the heat to high and bring the contents to a rolling boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with a heavy lid and cook for 1 hour with occasional stirring to prevent burning. Add the browned onions, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. The meat should be tender when done. Stir in the lime juice and salt, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot or warm with plain rice, biryani, flatbread or naan and a little plain unsweetened yogurt.