Learn with recipes: lamb

Showing posts with label lamb. Show all posts

Friday, March 28, 2014

Lamb and Onions with Cumin

Lamb is something that is very popular in the Middle East, Australia and parts of China. Some people dont like it because of their gamey smell, and there are others who prize lambs tenderness and its aroma. For me, I love any lamb cooked in such a way that removes the gamey smell and preserve the aroma. Actually one of the best lamb stir fry dish (Chengdu Spiced Lamb) Ive had is at the PF Changs restaurant in Boise, ID. We also tried the same dish at PF Changs in Fremont, CA and it wasnt as good as Boises for some reason. If you have a PF Changs restaurant nearby, Id highly recommend you to give it a try. Anyhoo, todays cumin dish is kind similar to the PF Changs version, but with a simpler flavor. I will probably post another one that is more similar to their flavor sometime later. This recipe is adapted from a Chinese recipe site.

Serves 3

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound lamb leg or shoulder meat, thinly sliced into 1/4 inch thick biteable slices
2 scallion, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cooking wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon corn starch
2-4 tablespoon water
1 cup corn or vegatable oil
1 6-inch diameter onion, cut into wedges, halved and seperate the onion layer
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1-3 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Tips:

The amount of salt, cumin and chili powder is based on your taste, so during the last seasoning step, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Instruction:

In a mixing bowl, mix the lamb slices with the salt, 1 teaspoon cooking wine, soy sauce and corn starch. Water should be the last ingredient to add to the marinate, the amount of water gets added depends on how much the lamb slices absorbs. Add in 2 teaspoon of water at a time, mix it well with the lamb with your hand in clockwise circular motion, then keep adding more water until the lamb cant absorb anymore water and the meat feels springy when pressed. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. After the lamb is marinated, if there are some water came out of the lamb, use the clockwise hand motion to mix it back in with the lamb, then mix it well with 1 tablespoon oil. This lamb marinate process is to let the moister get in the lamb while add the oil coating prevents the moister escape during the cooking process, our goal is to make the lamb more tender. This marinating process is exactly the same for beef, which we talked about in the Mongolian Beef recipe.
Heat 1 cup of oil in the wok or skillet over high heat till pretty hot but not smoking, put in the onion wedges and cook until onion start to soften (1-2 mintues), use a mesh to scope out the onion and put it on a paper towl lined plate. Reheat the oil till pretty hot and drop in the lamb slices, quickly cook the lamb until the lamb slices are barely cooked (white on the outside and pink in the middle). Use a mesh to scope out the lamb and drain on the paper towl.
Leave 1 tablespoon of the oil in the wok or skillet over high heat, put in the onion and lamb and quickly add salt, 1 teaspoon cooking wine, cumin and chili powder, mix everything so the lamb and onion is well coated. Cook till the lamb is no longer pink, taste to adjust seasoning, and mix in the sesame oil and cilantro. Serve over white rice.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Lamb Couscous Recipe

Tonight we ate Lamb Couscous with broccoli spears and it tasted DELICIOUS!

This dish is very tasty indeed.

Couscous is very quick to cook, so the main part is cooking the lamb and in a pressure cooker that was also very quick.

You must give this dish a try as I promise you will love it!

Ingredients
Shoulder of Lamb
4-5 Medium Carrots (diced small)
1 Small Leek (washed + diced small)
1 Sweet Red Pointed Pepper/Capsicum (diced small)
1 Yellow Pepper/Capsicum (diced small)
1 Small onion (diced small)
1 Tomato (peeled + diced small)
2 Handfuls Broccoli Spears
Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves + 2 Inches Fresh Ginger (chopped small + blended with a drop of water)
Sprinkle Dried Parsley
Sprinkle Dried Coriander
Pinch of Salt

For The Spices
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Small Brown Cardamon Pod
4 Small Green Green Cardamon Pods
2 Cloves

First toast lightly all of your seeds, cloves and cardamon pods in a small pan. This only takes 1 - 2 minutes, put all of them into a blender/mortar apart from all your cardamons - open your cardamon pods up and take out the small seeds, now add them also to your blend and grind to a powder.

Take your shoulder of lamb and place it into your pressure cooker. Fill with water about 1/4 of the way up(never fill a pressure cooker more than half full of water). Cook for 30 minutes depending on the size of your lamb. You might want to make a few slits into your lamb so the heat can get to the bone easier and the meat gets cooked through better.

When your lamb is cooked take it out and cover. Add your carrots, leek and peppers into your pressure cooker, on top place your broccoli. If there seems to be too much water just tip a little out as you dont want your vegetables too soggy. Cook for 5 minutes only.

In your small frying pan cook your onions until golden then add your tomatoes. Simmer then add your garlic/ginger paste. Simmer then add your ground seed mix - keep simmering. Add the rest of your spices.

Take your vegetables out of your pressure cooker- put your broccoli on a separate plate with a lid(or another plate on top) to keep the heat in. Add some salt, dried parsley and dried coriander.

Pick your lamb off the bone and add to your cooker with your couscous and spiced onions. Now add your vegetables stir and close the lid. Leave or approx 5 minutes.

It should be cooked now, dont worry if there is a little extra water just drain it off.

Enjoy Jeenas Lamb Couscous!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Lamb Keema Recipe

I made Lamb Keema tonight and it tasted fantastic!

I served it with Punjabi Basmati Rice that was fragranced with star anise and clove. Both dishes complimented each other so very well. We really enjoyed eating this lamb keema recipe, I am sure you will enjoy it just as much!

Ingredients
250g Lean Lamb Mince
1 Medium Onion (diced then blended)
1 Small Onion (chopped)
1 Red Capsicum (chopped)
1 Green Capsicum (chopped)
1 Red Chili
1/2 Green Chili
2 Inch Fresh Ginger
3-4 Small Garlic Cloves

Spices
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala
Pinch Cumin Seeds
Pinch Coriander Seeds
Pinch Fennel Seeds
Pinch Dried Mint
Pinch Dried Coriander
Pinch Dried Methi
Pinch Salt + Black Pepper(optional)
Olive Oil

Fry up your sliced onion until golden brown then add your blended onions and cook until it goes golden and more dry. Blend up your chili, garlic and ginger (you may need a tiny drop of water also) and add to your pan - turn down the heat a simmer.

Blend up your tomatoes and stir well keep simmering.

Add your fennel seeds, turmeric, paprika, cumin seeds and coriander seed. Stir well. You can drizzle in a little more oil if needed.

Add your red and green peppers/capsicums. Keep simmering.

Add your lamb and keep stiring well. Then add your dried herbs ground cumin and ground coriander. Add a drizzle of water(remember not too much water you dont want to turn your keema into a stew!)

Keep simmering add your Garam Masala with a drop more oil.

Simmer for a few more minutes stiring well.

I ate my lamb keema with basmati rice - once I boiled the rice I added a star anise and 3 cloves to my pan before I steamed the rice off with a lid. The rice was just lightly fragranced it went perfect with my lamb keema!

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Jeenas Kitchen- See you again next time.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

A Quick and Simple Mutton Lamb Curry

Serves 6
Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
1 kg mutton or lamb cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium size onions chopped finely
1 stick cinnamon broken into two
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
2 tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala / spice powder
2 teaspoons chillie powder
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the meat and fry well till it changes colour. Now add the chillie powder, cumin powder, garam masala / spice powder, tomatoes and salt and mix well. Fry for a few more minutes. Add sufficient water and simmer till the meat is tender.