Lamb with Chickpeas

lamb with chickpeas – Mangshor Ghugni – 

Feeds 4-6

• 1kg boneless Lamb
• 2 tins chick peas
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Half tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp whole coriander
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 stick cinnamon
• Few coriander sprigs to garnish
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Chop the lamb into large chunks and slice the onions. In a large saucepan, bring the oil to heat on high. When it is hot, drop in the cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaves. As they sizzle up, toss in the sliced onions and saute for five minutes until they take on a pale golden colour. Adding a sprinkle of salt to the onions will speed this up.

Keep stirring the onions from time to time, and meanwhile dry roast and powder the whole cumin and coriander seeds. When the onions are ready, add all the spice powders, and keep stirring for another two minutes. If the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a little hot water and gently scrape off.

Next, chop roughly and mix in the tomatoes, along with the chunks of lamb. Brown the meat evenly for five minutes and then lower the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring regularly for half an hour. You should not need to add water as the lamb will just cook in its own juices and this is a moist dish with no curry.

Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, and in the last 15 minutes, rinse drain and mix in the chick peas. Stir in the garam masala and salt to taste, garnish with ripped fresh coriander and enjoy with warm rotis or pitta bread.