The Canola Council of Canada recently published a recipe collection called “Spice Route: A Journey of Global Flavors”. The recipes were developed by Raghavan Iyer, a well known cookbook author and culinary educator.
The following recipe is a sample from that collection. It’s easy to make, filled with flavour and the cilantro garnish adds a touch of colour that reminds us that spring is just around the corner :)!
Persian Lamb Stew with Dried Apricots
Serves 8 Serving Size: 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup (60mL) coarsely chopped firmly packed fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped fresh ginger
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) coarse kosher or sea salt
1 tsp (5 mL) cumin
1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cayenne pepper
1 1/4 lbs (625 g) boneless leg of lamb, fat trimmed off and discarded, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes
1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil
4 cups (1 L) finely chopped red onion
1 cup (250 mL) dried apricots
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 Tbsp (15 mL) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp (30 mL) malt or cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
INSTRUCTIONS
- In medium bowl, combine mint and all spices; mix well. Add lamb and toss to coat with marinade rub. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or overnight, to allow meat to absorb flavors.
- Preheat wok, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drizzle canola oil down its sides. As soon as oil forms shimmering pool at bottom, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, stewing onion in its own juices, about 5 minutes. Once liquid evaporates, reduce heat to medium and stir-fry until onion turns honey-brown with deep purple hue, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add lamb and apricots and raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat sears and starts to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Some canola oil will separate from onion and lamb, and glisten on top of mixture. Apricots will start to soften a bit. Add water and stir once or twice. Once mixture boils, almost instantaneously, reduce heat to medium-low, cover wok and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer lamb, apricots and onion to serving bowl and leave behind some sauce in wok.
- Stir brown sugar into wok. Heat from sauce will melt sugar. Pour sauce over lamb and stir in vinegar. Sprinkle cilantro over stew and serve.
NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS
Per Serving: 260 kcal, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrate 3 g fibre, 19 g protein, 510 mg sodium.
For more recipes from the Spice Route Collection go to http://canolainfo.org/recipes/collections.php?detail=57