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Vegetable Curry with Lamb

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Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x

Time 1 to 2 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 pound), chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground dried
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water, or more as needed
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add some of the lamb and sprinkle with some of the salt and pepper. Cook, adjusting the heat and turning the pieces as needed so the meat doesn’t burn, until it’s well browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. As the meat browns, transfer it to a plate and continue adding more meat, seasoning it, and cooking the pieces until all the meat is browned.
  2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, cauliflower, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and cayenne, if you’re using it, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the browned lamb: The meat and vegetables should be about halfway submerged in braising liquid; if not, add more liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture barely bubbles. Cover and cook, stirring every 30 minutes and adding small amounts of liquid if the stew ever looks dry, until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork, another 15 to 30 minutes.
  4. If the curry looks too watery, remove the lid, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens. If it looks too dry, add a little more stock or water and raise the heat until bubbly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with the cilantro and serve.

—Recipe from The VB6 Cookbook

Recipe variations

Chili Beef with Lots of Vegetables Swap boneless beef chuck for the lamb, olive oil for the vegetable oil, and chili powder for the curry. Try carrots instead of the cauliflower and add 2 chopped poblano chiles along with the bell pepper. Omit the yogurt. Go ahead and add dried black beans with the stock in Step 3 if you like, but I bet you won’t miss them. Serve with warm corn tortillas.