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Middle Eastern lamb stew in the WFLI Photo House

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew with Poppy Seed Garam Masala

A brothy Full GAPS lamb stew with browned onions, ginger, garlic, soaked poppy-seed garam masala, cucumber, cilantro, lime, and cultured sour cream.
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Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Stew
Cuisine: GAPS, Middle Eastern, Pakistani
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lamb Stew
  • 2 pounds lamb stew meat or lamb shoulder cut into cubes; or fresh ground lamb rolled into 1- to 2-inch meatballs
  • 2 medium-large yellow onions diced or thinly sliced
  • 3 cups homemade lamb or beef meat stock for the slow cooker; see pressure-cooker scaling note below
  • 1/2 cup ghee, duck fat, or rendered meat fat
  • 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger grated or minced
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed or minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Poppy Seed Garam Masala
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds soaked 7 to 24 hours and drained
  • 2 tablespoons pure garam masala no starch, sugar, or additives
  • 1 tablespoon filtered water add gradually and stop when a paste forms
Toppings
  • 2 cups homemade 24-hour sour cream optional, after dairy introduction
  • 2 cucumbers peeled and chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro washed and chopped
  • 1 lime cut into 6 wedges

Equipment

  • Slow cooker with ceramic insert
  • Le Creuset Signature 10.25-inch skillet Artichaut, or a large uncoated stainless skillet
  • Small spice grinder or Ninja BN801 blender alternative
  • Very fine stainless strainer or clean linen
  • Slotted spoon and wooden spatula

Method
 

  1. Put the poppy seeds in a small glass bowl, cover well with warm water, stir in a little sea salt, cover, and soak on the counter for 7 to 24 hours.
  2. Drain through a very fine stainless strainer or clean linen. Grind the wet seeds with the filtered water to a thick speckled paste, adding the water gradually, then stir in the garam masala.
    Soaked poppy-seed garam-masala paste and fine stainless strainer on the WFLI Photo House island
  3. Pour the measured slow-cooker meat stock into the slow cooker and set it on High to heat.
  4. Heat the measured fat in the skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and most of the measured sea salt, reserving the rest for the lamb. Cook about 20 minutes, reducing to medium-low after 10 minutes, until browned and tender without burned edges.
  5. Transfer the onions to the hot stock with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the skillet.
  6. Add the lamb cubes and the reserved measured sea salt plus optional cayenne. Brown all sides for about 8 minutes, working in batches when needed so the pan is not crowded.
  7. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant, with the lamb and onions visibly browned.
    Lamb browned with onion ginger and garlic in an Artichaut skillet in the WFLI Photo House
  8. Transfer the lamb and aromatics to the slow cooker. Deglaze the skillet with a little measured stock, scrape up the browned bits, and add them to the cooker. Stir in the poppy-seed garam-masala paste.
  9. Turn the slow cooker to Low and cook 6 to 8 hours, until cubed lamb separates with light fork pressure. If using meatballs, cook about 5 hours.
  10. Serve hot with the cultured sour cream, diced cucumber, cilantro, and lime wedges offered separately at the table.

Notes

Full GAPS: Use raw-meaty lamb or beef meat stock, prepared poppy seeds, pure spices, and approved cooking fat.
Pressure cooker: Use 2 cups stock for 1x, 4 cups for 2x, and 6 cups for 3x. Sauté onions 10 minutes, add remaining ingredients, and pressure-cook cubes 35 minutes or meatballs 7 minutes, followed by 30 minutes natural release.
Soaking: Start poppy seeds 7 to 24 hours before cooking.
Dairy: Cultured sour cream is optional and only after introduction.
Texture: The slow-cooker version is intentionally brothy and uses no starch or gum.

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