Coconut Curry with Lamb & Garbanzo Beans
As a disclaimer, don’t be upset with the amount of ingredients that go into this curry dish. To some it may be overwhelming but trust me the hardest part is gathering it all. Any good curry takes really great ingredients, a little more time and love.
This recipe is a combination of two of my favorite things, Curry and Lamb. This dish has a mix of both Caribbean and South Asian flavors which I think go great together. I wouldn’t go as far as saying its authentic in any way but its really close. The flavor is there, the depth of spice is there and most importantly there really is no way of messing this up, (besides burning the bottom) lets not do that! The importance here is to take the time to develop the flavors and spices that go into this “oh so good coconut curry.” luckily, I’ve had my fair share of curry in the last few years , good flavorful curry, mediocre curry and just plain bland coconut cream on a plate kind of curry. This one in particular is on my top 5 of the best I’ve had. Take the time to enjoy the process of making this dish, you wont regret it!
Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 60 min
Yields 6-8 Servings
Ingredients :
3 oz peeled Ginger
2 oz Peeled Garlic
3 oz canned chickpeas
1 lb lean ground Lamb
4 oz vegetable oil
4 oz Clarified butter
6 0z chopped White Onion
1/4 cup Cumin seeds
1 Tbl Kosher salt
1 cup Jamaican Curry powder
2 tsp chili flakes
1 Tbl Turmeric
1/4 cup ground coriander
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
8 oz diced tomatoes
4 springs thyme
2 cups water
3 1/2 cups Coconut Cream
Method:
Start by placing the vegetable oil, Garlic and Ginger into a blender, blend until a thick paste is formed.
Bring a big pot to a medium high heat, place the ground lamb with a pinch of salt and begin to cook until lightly brown.
Next add the thick paste mixture with the diced white onions, the clarified butter and begin to sweat until the onions become translucent and the mixture becomes fragrant. (about 15 min)
Once the onions are almost cooked, lower the heat to medium and begin adding all of the spices listed above and start to cook out the flavors. It is important to watch the spices and constantly stir them as they burn very easily. (cook spices for about 15 min)
After about 10 min of stirring, add in the diced tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme springs. Cook and stir for about (15 min)
At this point the aroma of the curry sauce and lamb should be filling the room, add in the 2 cups of water and the canned chickpeas, cook on a low simmer for about (10 mins)
Lastly add in the coconut cream stirring it to incorporate well, cook 5 mins and remove from the heat.
Finish with fresh cilantro. Serve over white rice, lentils or simply with naan bread. Enjoy!
