Tehari

This recipe is quite odd, but fairly tasty and interesting. Be warned, black cumin is not at all like regular cumin. To substitute you might try a mix of cumin and black pepper, but the flavor would still be different.

Beef or Mutton Tehari

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Serves: 46

Ingredients:

2 lb ground lamb (or beef)

1 onion, sliced

4 green Thai Chillies, split and seeded

3 tsp red chili powder

2 1/2 tbsp salt

1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste

4 tbsp yogurt

4 pods green cardamom

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp black cumin (shahi jeera)

5 cups water

4 cups rice

2 tbsp cilantro

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Wash and soak the rice.

In a pressure cooker, add a little oil and fry chillies, onions, and ground meat. Once onions and translucent, add chilli powder, salt, and garm masala and cook for another minute.

Add a cup of water, and close the lid. Pressure cook for twenty minutes.

In a heavy saucepan, add the oil and fry garlic-ginger paste until golden brown. Add the yogurt, cardamom, cinnamon, and black cumin and fry for one minute. Add the water and rice, bring to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes. Add the meat mixture, place the lid on the pot, and put into the oven for 12 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Aash-e Sholeh Qalamkar

This delicious lamb recipe delivers a rich flavor, and a wonderful texture.

Aash-e Sholeh Qalamkar (based on this recipe)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb ground lamb

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

1/2 bunch chives or scallions ends, finely chopped

1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 cup peas

1/2 cup rice, rinsed

1/2 cup chickpeas

1/2 cup lentils

3 large onions, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/ tsp salt

1 tbsp canola oil

Night Before (or morning before):

Soak beans and lentils for 4-5 hours, or overnight.

Cooking:
In a large pot, fry ground lamb until browned. Drain of excess greases and set aside in a bowl.

Now fry onions in the remaining lamb grease until golden brown. Add lamb, chickpeas, lentils, turmeric, salt, pepper, and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for one hour.

Add rice and simmer another 20-30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

Add peas, chives, dill, scallion ends/chives, cilantro, parsley, and peas. Return to a simmer and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

Chelo Kebab

This is trhe national dish of Iran, or something like that. It's uncomplicated, easy, and tasty.

Chelo Kebab (based on this recipe)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:1 lb ground lamb

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 large onion, minced

salt to taste

Grill:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Divide mixture into fourths, and form into elongated forms, and place on spears.

Place on a grill and cook 4-6 minutes, or until done.

Serve with white rice and pita bread.

Sikandar

Fenugreek probably isn't a spice you're familiar with, nor is it used in western cooking. You have tasted it, since the seeds provide the "imitation" maple flavor in pancake syrup. It is one of the oldest spices/herbs used, and you may find it in import stores. The Indian terms menthi and methi are the most common alternate terms.

Methi Maaz is a unique mix of lamb, mustard oil, and fenugreek.

Methi Maaz

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless lamb, cut into chunks

2 lbs fresh fenugreek, chopped

1 cup mustard oil

1 tsp ginger powder

2 tso fennel powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 pinch asafoetida

2 cloves

4 brown cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup milk

3 tsp dried fenugreek

salt to taste

Cooking:

Put lamb cubes into pot in 3 cups of water and boil until they are semi-tender. Remove the meat from the broth, and save the broth.

In the broth, add ginger powder, fennel powder, cloves, brown cardamom pods, cinnamon, turmeric, and milk and boil the stock for ten minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat mustard oil and add adafoetida and salt. Using your hands, crush the fenugreek and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the meat and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the broth and simmer until it reduces to a gravy.

Sprinkle dried fenugreek on top, and serve with rice.

Veer Zaara

Rogan Josh is a popular lamb and spice dish. I found it on this page. I've adjusted the terminology and ingredients based on what you'll find out here (the midwestern US for newcomers). This is absolutely delicious.

Rogan Josh

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time 2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

3 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 lbs leg of lamb, cut into bite-sized chunks

16 oz can crushed tomatoes

4 tbsp yogurt

cilantro (optional)

Cooking:

Heat oil in a large pot until hot, and then sautee onions until soft, then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add thesalt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and chilli powder, and fry until aromatic. Then add the chunks of lamb and cook for five minutes, until meat has fully browned. Then add the can of tomatoes, and cook for five minutes.

Add the yogurt, and then bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Take off heat and add fresh cilantro leaves to taste. Serve with naan or rice.