Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb

This Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb is cooked over a low heat for about 3 hours resulting in ultimate tenderisation and flavour. 

The spices used to season this glorious dish provide a heady aroma and the most wonderful flavours.

Try this recipe, your taste buds will love you for it!

Perfectly tender Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb

At the end of its cooking time your lamb is so perfectly tender and the flavours are just out of this world.

In Egypt meat is cut into large chunks 2” x 2” x 1”. And each person is just given 2 or 3 pieces of meat. If you prefer your meat cut smaller, as is the norm for English food, that’s fine, the meat will still cook much the same. If you prefer you could alternatively use lamb shanks for this recipe.

If you are the owner of a Slow Cooker this would be a great opportunity to make use of it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ a leg of lamb (the thicker end) – ask your butcher to de-bone the meat and cut it for you.

Retain the bone for cooking – it provides a wonderful gravy.

Spice mix

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• seeds from 3 cardamom pods freshly ground
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Additional ingredients

• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 onions finely sliced
• 3 tsp garlic puree
• 6 fresh tomatoes – chopped or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• juice and zest of 3 fresh lemons
• 3 lamb stock cubes
• 2 large carrots – grated
• 2 red chillies de-seeded and cut into rings.
• 500ml water
• Small bunch of fresh coriander – leaves and stalks separated and chopped

Method

Blend all the spices from the spice mix together in a small bowl.

Coat the meat in that wonderful spice blend

Rub half of the spice mix on to the lamb.

Put a large pan over a high flame to heat up.

Add 2 tbsp oil and when that heats up.

Sear the Meat

Work in batches and place about 6 pieces of the lamb into the hot oil at a time.

The lamb needs to be seared (browned and sealed) all over. So, leave the lamb in one place in the pan (without stirring it) for a couple of minutes and then turn it. 

*Tip if it is seared it will turn easily, if it’s not quite ready it will appear to be stuck to the bottom of the pan, in which case leave it for a minute or so and then try turning it again.

When the lamb is browned put those pieces to one side and repeat the process until all the meat is browned. Add a little more oil if necessary.

When all the lamb is browned put them to one side.

Now for the additional ingredients

Reduce the heat under the pan then add the onions and gently fry them until they become soft and golden.

Add the rest of the spice mix and the garlic and continue cooking for another minute until the oils in the spices are released and the garlic becomes fragrant.

Now add the chopped tomatoes, juice and zest of the lemons, the stock cubes, grated carrot, chilli and the chopped coriander stalks.

Return the lamb to the pan along with the bone and add enough hot water to cover the meat.

Increase the heat for the pan and bring it to the boil.

Simmer on as low a heat as possible

Then reduce the heat to as low as it will go and allow the lamb to simmer for about 2 – 3 hours, checking occasionally that there is enough liquid in the pan and stir the meat about every hour. 

Your stewed lamb will be ready when the meat is tender and can be cut easily with a spoon.

Time to check your seasoning

Add the chopped coriander leaves just a few minutes before serving.

Additional Recipes that use Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb

This recipe is perfect to use for Lamb Fettah, a favourite in Egypt for Eid.

It’s also great to have over Potato Layer Bake or with Egyptian Rice with Shariya. In fact there are so many possibilities. Which ever way you choose to have delicious Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb, I’m sure you’ll love it.

To get some of the recipes I’ve mentioned click the links below.

Batch Cooking tip for Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb

As Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb has such a long cooking time, I frequently cook three or even four times the quantities (in a very large pot) and divide it up and freeze the portions.

When you’re busy it’s excellent to have as back up. Just take it out of the freezer in the morning and it’s ready to heat up in the evening. Cook up a pot of rice and you’re ready to go.

So many times I’ve been grateful for this time saver.

You’ll also save on fuel bills!

I do hope you give this recipe a go I’m sure you’ll love it.

Let me know how you get on with the recipe, I love hearing from you. And keep those photos coming in – they’re great.