Lamb Stew With Chickpeas and Butternut Squash

Name: Lamb Stew With Chickpeas and Butternut Squash
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste; Pinch of cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 pound lamb stewing meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes; 5 teaspoons vegetable oil; 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned; 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds and fibers scooped out, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 1 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

By Molly O'Neill

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Rating: 5(1,126)
Comments: Read comments

There is no high drama about simmering a stew. However fine, stew is a homey, intimate exchange, a paean to the way living things improve when their boundaries relax, when they incorporate some of the character and flavor of others. Soulful, a word inextricably linked with a good sturdy stew, is the payoff to the cook who plans a little and has the patience to abide. Here, long-simmered lamb combines with chickpeas and butternut squash to yield a stew rich with the flavors of cumin, cardamom and coriander, that can help keep a chilly night at bay.

Featured in: A Simmer of Hope

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1teaspoon ground cumin
½teaspoon ground cardamom
½teaspoon ground coriander
¼teaspoon turmeric
¼teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1pound lamb stewing meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
5teaspoons vegetable oil
1small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1small butternut squash, peeled, seeds and fibers scooped out, cut into ¾-inch cubes
119-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

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Preparation

Step 1
Combine the spices and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, stir together ¼ cup flour and 1½ teaspoons of the spice mixture, add the lamb and coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a large pot. Add lamb a few pieces at a time; don't overcrowd. Turn the pieces until lamb is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add a teaspoon of oil as needed between batches.
Step 2
Remove the lamb and set aside. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the onion to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the lamb and remaining spice mixture. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the squash and chickpeas and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Stir 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into 2 tablespoons of flour to make a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the stew and cook until the broth thickens and the squash is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,126 user ratings

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Comments

Carolyn Lengel6 years ago

I have this recipe on a yellowed, frayed page torn from the NYT Magazine in 1994. I've made it dozens and dozens of times. I've substituted sweet potatoes for butternut squash and even ground lamb (made into meatballs) for the lamb stewing meat in a pinch. I do usually triple or quadruple the dry spices--older recipes like this with South Asian flavors are usually too timid with seasonings, imo. A family favorite that we will keep coming back to again and again.

C.E. Wall7 years ago

I'm up-ing the spices next go-round (esp tumeric and coriander). Maybe try with some lamb sausage instead of stewing meat?

Jeanne6 years ago

I agree that the spices should be doubled. Also a tablespoon of tomato paste works well and punches up the color. Have made it twice so far. It's a keeper.

AmandaPNW4 years ago

This is amazing! I pureed the squash and used herbed Italian, vegan sausage instead. I also used dried chick peas that I cooked in the Instapot with salt and rosemary in advance. Garnished with cilantro. Blew my mind!

Hungryman4 years ago

By the time I browned my meat cut into ~1 in cubes, it was mostly cooked! Some completely cooked, others up to about 120 degrees. After an hour in the pot it would be very overcooked! Also, it’s already quite tender. Why cook for an hour in the pot? What do you think would be the ideal temperature of the lamb before cooking it for 1 hr in the pot?

Liz4 years ago

As a white American woman who is married to a South Asian-born man, I know why we often have to double/triple ratios for South Asian spices here in the US (cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper...). Whenever my in-laws visit, they bring fresh spices directly from their place of origin and processing, in India. They tell us to use them quickly, and keep them in a cool dark place. When beginning a dish, they are dry roasted or fried, sometimes after freshly grinding.

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