SERVES 4
Love this hearty stew on a cold and rainy day. Traditionally, pieces of lamb or goat meat are slow cooked till they are tender and almost falling apart. The okra is cooked separately and added to the meat at the end. The garlic, ginger and the spices in the stew warm you up, but it is not spicy hot. But you can kick it up a few notches by since cayenne pepper instead of the Kashmiri chilli powder.
For marinating the meat
1½ lb lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes (either with or without bones). You can also use mutton instead of lamb
1 tsp Kashmiri chill powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
For cooking the okra and meat
1 lb okra, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces with heads and tails cut
2 medium onions, sliced
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp cup vegetable oil. I use sunflower oil
2 tbsp clarified butter, ghee
5 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander powder
3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
2-3 cups of water, adjust as needed
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped, for garnish
2-inch ginger, peeled and julienned, for garnish
1 In a bowl, add the garlic, ginger, ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder and ½ tsp of turmeric powder to the meat and mix well. Let the meat marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2 In a large pan, heat the oil and clarified butter on medium high heat. Add the okra and ½ tsp salt, and fry until the okra starts to brown and is no longer slimy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the okra and set aside on a plate. The okra should be almost cooked, but not fully. It will cook some more along with the meat at the end.
3 Add cumin seeds and sliced garlic to the oil and sauté them for 30 seconds. Add ¾th of the chopped onions to the pan and cook till they turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
4 Add coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder to the pan. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Sauté till the oil releases from the slides, about 4-5 minutes.
5 Add the marinated meat and mix well so that the meat is coated with the mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the meat on a low flame for about 1½ hours. Check periodically to make sure there is enough water in the pan. Alternately, transfer the meat to a instant pot, add the 2 cups of water and cook on high pressure for about 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
7 Add the reserved okra and the sliced small onion to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then cover and simmer on low for another 5 minutes. If using instant pot, transfer the contents to the pan and follow this step.
Garnish with the chopped cilantro and julienned ginger. Serve with steamed rice or toasted bread (French or sourdough).
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