The Bread Baker's Lamb & Tomato Curry
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Servings:
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, or 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ground
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chiles (or substitute cayenne pepper or hot paprika), or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon turkish or other crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pound boneless lamb shoulder, excess fat removed but some fat left on, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 pound ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 6 cups), juices reserved, or two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with their juices
Directions
  1. Combine all the ground spices, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
  2. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
  3. Place the lamb and onion in a 5-quart heavy lidded pot or Dutch oven. Sprinkle over 3 tablespoons of the spice mix and the salt and toss to coat the meat. Mound the tomatoes over the lamb, covering it completely. Place the pot over medium heat and cook until you begin to smell the spices, about 4 minutes. Do not stir. If using canned tomatoes, pour 1/2 cup hot water over the lamb.
  4. Put the lid on the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Do not stir.
  5. Remove the pot from the oven and check the curry. The meat should be tender and the tomatoes collapsed. There should be about 1 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot; if there is too much liquid, return the pot, uncovered, to the oven to reduce the liquid, 10 to 30 more minutes, depending on the amount of liquid. Stir the tomatoes into the curry and serve hot.
  6. Recipe excerpted with permission from Istanbul & Beyond by Robyn Eckhardt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017)