Vijs Stewed Cinnamon Scented Goat Or Lamb Curry Adapted Recipes

Steps:

• Melt ghee on medium heat in a large, heavy stockpot. Add cumin seeds and sauté until they sizzle, about 45 seconds. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in ginger. After 1 minute, add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, for 5 to 10 minutes or until ghee (or oil) separates from the spices. Add another tablespoon of ghee or oil if spices are sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Add tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until ghee (or oil) separates again and glistens. Stir in yogurt and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then add water (add an extra cup of water if serving with rice). Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
• In another large, heavy frying pan, add 1/8 cup oil. On medium to high heat, sauté lamb (or goat), stirring regularly, until you notice small, thin lines of blood on the meat. Remove from the heat and transfer meat to the stew.
• Return stew to medium-low heat and cook covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until meat is cooked through. Add more water, 1/2 cup at a time, if the stew becomes dry while cooking. This should be a moist, thick curry.
• To Serve: Just before serving, remove cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir in cilantro. Ladle equal amounts of curry into each bowl.
• Pairing: Zinfandel.

Steps:

• Prepare the Jamaican curry powder: In a skillet, toast the spices over low heat, gently shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a spice grinder, blender or mini food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a fine powder.
• Prepare the goat: Set the meat in a large bowl. Put on a pair of disposable latex or vinyl gloves. (Scotch bonnet chile can be very hot to the touch.) Add the oil, onion, garlic, chile, thyme sprigs, seasoned salt, black pepper and half the prepared Jamaican curry powder (or 4 tablespoons store-bought) to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. (Save remaining spice mix for another use.)
• Transfer the meat to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
• Place the meat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the potatoes and 2 cups water. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until the potatoes break down, the sauce has thickened and the meat is tender and cooked through, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The curried goat will look like a thick stew. Add more seasoned salt, if needed. Serve with the rice.

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon curry powder, the salt, the ground ginger and the black pepper. Add spice mix to large bowl and toss with lamb.
• Combine onion, scallion, garlic, fresh ginger, allspice, thyme leaves and 2 tablespoons oil in a blender; purée until smooth. Scrape mixture over lamb and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons curry powder and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat on all sides. Drizzle in additional oil, if needed, to prevent meat from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Transfer browned meat to a plate as it browns.
• Once all the meat has been browned, return it to the pot, along with any juices on the plate. Add enough water to just cover meat. Bring liquid to a simmer, covered, then uncover the pot and cook gently for 45 minutes.
• Stir potato, carrot and pepper into pot. Simmer until vegetables are fork tender and meat is cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat and vegetables to a bowl. Simmer cooking liquid until it has reduced and thickened to a saucy consistency (to taste), about 15 minutes. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Pour sauce over meat. Serve over rice, topped with a squeeze of lime, a dollop of mango chutney or pickle and fresh cilantro.