Navarin of Lamb

Navarin of Lamb

It might sound cliched but I had realized long time back that one of the most important relationships for an adult or for that matter child is friendship.

So basically work or no work I knew I needed a Christmas Party and what better way to celebrate it than to have a Potluck Lunch where  kitchen enthusiasts whip up amazing dishes and share it .

Off late I have become obsessed with Larousse Gastronomique's recipes if not for anything else then for the sheer variety of recipes it offers , mostly French but then there is so much to learn and flipping through the pages I realized many dishes can be cooked universally because the ingredients are quite universal.

I chose Navarin of Lamb because a stew seems comforting and delicious on a pleasant winter's day and what better to make a stew than add white wine.


Serves 6 to 8

1.5 kilogram of lamb meat (Preferably a mix of meat from the  legs and neck)
2 plump large tomatoes peeled seeded and crushed
2 large cloves of garlic
250gm of baby carrots
100gm to 150gm of baby peas
200gm of turnips (if they are baby turnips you can leave them whole but mine were large and I chopped them up )
Bouquet Garni which I made with Parsley, Thyme, Bay leaf and Rosemary
Salt as per taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
7 to 8 baby onions
200ml of white wine
Water for cooking
4 tbsp butter

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large flat bottom casserole and brown the lamb well and keep aside. Take out 1/3rd of the fat which is left behind and then add the lamb back to the flat bottomed casserole and add the minced garlic and the wine and mix well , then add enough water to submerge the meat with the bouquet garni , crushed pepper , nutmeg and salt and bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes and then transfer the meat with all its contents in a pressure cooker and put it on low flame till the first whistle. switch off the gas immediately after the first whistle and let the steam go out on its own.

In a separate wok melt the remaining butter and brown the vegetables and now put back the meat with all its content and the vegetables and bring to a boil and simmer . Add a bit of water if required. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Cooking tips

1. The flat bottomed pan ensures that the heat gets distributed evenly and all the meat is cooked evenly
2. I use the slow pressure cook method to reduce time on the gas stove and this process ensures that the meat is soft and super tender. If you do not use the pressure cooker you need to simmer the meat for a good 1 hour to 1.5 hours till the meat is super soft but firm and juicy.  

Rogan Josh with onion , Garlic and Mawal

Rogan Josh with Onion , garlic and Mawal 

I always like trying out different versions of one dish but when there are two distinct versions of the same dish then it is time to make both of them and guess what each version  can hold its own. A few weeks back I had made Rogan Josh as a tribute to the Kashmiri Pandit style of cooking. 

Quite naturally I was eager to make the other version used by the Muslim community in Kashmir but there was one big glitch. This other recipe has to use Mawal aka dried cockscomb flower and I was not sure I would get it in Calcutta. All I can say is I was worried for nothing. I had a faint faith in my New Market and I was hoping that I would get it there. So when Pritha and I went ingredient shopping I went to my old shopkeeper and my problem was solved. He gave me the prim and proper mawal and told me that it is different from ratan jot which is used by many for Rogan josh but is not the original stuff. God Bless this ancient market of Calcutta.

Ah I knew I had to make this delightful delicacy. I even got delightful lamb from New market and treated my friend Anusree before I left for Mumbai for 3 months. This leaving of my own city always make sme feel depressed. Its a whole other thing that my green husband doesn't touch any meat but I guess I love my city an emotion I was made aware of only post marriage.

Anyway back to the recipe. I followed the Waza Brother's recipe and here it goes :-

1 kilogram lamb
1 tbsp garlic paste
100gm clotted ghee / 1 cup of melted ghee
Salt as per taste - I required 2 tsp
8 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 tsp ground black pepper
A fat pinch of saffron soaked in little water
1 cup of Mawal aka cockscomb flower steeped in 1 cup of boiling water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.5 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder
1.2 litres of water
3 onions

Wash the meat well and bring the water and meat to a boil in an open pressure cooker and take out the scum that forms and then add salt and garlic paste and turn the heat down to the lowest possible flame and put the lid on and let the pressure build up on its own. After the first whistle switch off the gas-stove and let the steam come out on its own.

In the meantime heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the chopped onions and then cool it down and blend it. Bring the mawal and the water to a boil and then cover and leave it. Soak the saffron in a bit of water.

Now open the pressure cooker and take out the meat. Bring the stock to a boil.    

In the same pan in which you have fried the ghee heat the rest of the ghee and temper the cloves and when they splutter switch off the gas and add 1 tbsp water and cover it.

Now add the crushed cardamom to the boiling stock and lower the heat and add the meat, onion paste, turmeric and the ghee with the cloves and then bring it to a boil and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes  add the Kashmiri chili powder, strain the Mawal water and add it and then and saffron soaked in water. Simmer for sometime and serve with hot plain rice.

Rustic Shepherd's Pie

Rustic Shepherd's Pie 

This dish which I have prepared is entirely dedicated to my oldest friend Tori who is also one of my closest friends. The recipe was made because someone trusted my cooking enough to ask me to make this dish for her and well after that time went by and after a year here I am with the Rustic Shepherd's pie. 

Now when you search for a recipe especially over the internet there would be numerous recipes to choose from and the difference in ingredients can be confusing. Should one use the Worcestershire sauce or not, should one keep it rustic or add the beautiful twists given by brilliant chefs and then you have to know what you want. For me I like the classic version of a dish. Often getting hold of a classic recipe can be quite problematic. So what I did was go through 5 to 6 recipes. I came to conclusion that some ingredients make this dish a classic one and so here is my version which is an adaptation of Jamie Oliver and BBC Good Food's recipes . I even used butter instead of olive oil and olive oil was used for both the recipes and my reasoning was simple. This dish was invented somewhere in the late 19th century and to me England and olive oil didn't quite match together. Oh but I must say the goodness of butter made the dish lip smacking good.

My emphasis was on fresh ingredients and a bit of extra work such as making the stock and tomato puree which I honestly believe is the key to a good dish. So you start a day ahead with the stock. And here comes the recipe

Here is what you need.

For the stock

500gm lamb bones
1 litre water
2 bay leaves
1 large onion
2 to 3 fat cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery
2 tbsp butter

For the tomato puree

400gm of tomatoes
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar

For the mince filling

500gm minced lamb
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 large onion
3 to 4 fat cloves of garlic
Salt as per taste
5 tbsp tomato puree
Salt as per taste
Freshly ground black pepper
A good splash of red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tbsp butter

For the mashed potato

1kg of potato
25gm of butter
100ml of full fat milk
Salt as per taste

20gm of butter melted to brush the pie

Wash the bones with warm water twice or thrice. Start with your stock simply heat the oil and fry the onion and celery and add the bones and let them brown a bit and add the water and the other ingredients and bring to a boil and then simmer till ti gets reduced to half its original quantity. Let it cool down and then strain this and put it in the refrigerator. You would see a layer of fat. remove it and you have your stock ready to be used.

The next day start by first marinating the lamb with salt, pepper and the red wine vinegar.                                Now make the tomato puree by simply bring a large pot of water to boil and switch off the gas stove .Then make a cross on the back of the tomatoes and add them to the boiled water and cover and leave for 10 minutes. Take the tomatoes out with a slotted spoon and then peel them and blend them. Then bring this to a boil and add salt and sugar and simmer till all the water evaporates and you are left with a thick red puree.

Now melt the butter and add the finely chopped garlic, onion , carrots and celery and saute till softened and add the lamb and cook on high heat for 5 minutes and lower the heat and cook till the water evaporates and then add 5 to 6 tbsp tomato puree and keep stirring till well mixed. Now add 300ml to 400ml stock and bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 30 minutes to 40 minutes. Check from times to time and stir.

Pressure cook the potatoes and peel them and then smash them well . Add milk, butter and salt and make a smooth mashed potato topping.

Once the minced meat is cooked simply take a deep dished baking tray and pour the cooked minced in it and press with the back of a big serving spoon and then fluff up the mashed potato and add it and use a fork to draw patterns.

Now preheat oven to 180C and bake for 25 minutes to 35 minutes. It was a huge success for me since my friend loved it and took 2 servings :)

Enjoy a heart meal with a side of steamed peas or just by itself.