From goat in India to the use of lamb in most other countries; lamb wins in Indian cuisine hands down. Lamb is truly the substitute for goat nearly everywhere but in India.
The History of Change
When an Indian sits down to meat, it is nearly always goat meat. The English, over the years have started to call goat mutton, not to be confused with aged sheep.
And in India...
Mutton in India sure isn’t old goat meat – far from it. It’s very fresh goat, dressed daily at the local butcher. Because of the lack of proper refrigeration throughout most of India, the meat is dressed and sold within 24 hours. Wealthy patrons take it, wash it and often freeze it; however, the less wealthy generally cook the goat immediately.
As the meat is fresh and very lean, if it’s to be fried it must be tenderized first or cooked slowly over a long period of time. The most common tenderizers are either crushed green papaya or a marinade of vinegar and yoghurt.
Enough about goat! Let’s move on to the North American use of lamb in India Cuisine.
Lamb wins in Indian Cuisine
North Americans seem to have a general distaste for chewy meats; hence the tender and succulent lamb becomes the star of the show.
So Much Tradition
In Northern India there are many rich lamb-cooking traditions. Every important occasion in Kashmir is celebrated with a mishani, a meal that traditionally consists of seven dishes – all of them made with lamb. You might find lamb meatballs, roasted leg of lamb, lamb kebabs or roghan josh (a meal of lamb simmered with chilies, cardamom, cloves, turmeric and other spices.)
Here in Barrie...
Here in Barrie, we’ve found some of the most succulent lamb dishes are found at Tandoori Kingdom on Blake Street. Choose from Lamb Curry, Lamb Vindaloo, Masala, Korma Lamb or Lamb Saag. These are just the entrees… Imagine the incredible flavour of Lamb Chops Sizzler from the Tandoori Oven or a flavourful Lamb Biryani with scented basmati rice and caramelized onions.
Whatever happened historically, as a lover of this wonderful meat, we’re so happy that Lamb wins in Indian Cuisine.
Here's a Recipe where Lamb wins in Indian Cuisine...For You to Try
Just for fun for those of you who are Home Stars of your kitchen, we’ve added an easy lamb recipe for you to try…
Easy Lamb Curry
Cook time: 1 Hr 30 Min Prep time: 15 Min Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp onion, chopped
1 c celery, diced
2 c beef broth
1/4 c ketchup
2 c lamb, cooked and diced
1/2 c apple, chopped
2/3 c rice, uncooked
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine flour and curry powder. Set aside.
- Place oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and saute lightly.
- Stir in flour mixture and blend until smooth. Add broth and ketchup. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add lamb and apple. Simmer another 20 minutes.
- Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and butter.
Place 1/2 cup rice in each of four shallow bowls. Spoon lamb mixture evenly over rice. Serve hot.
Let Us Know
Let us know how your kitchen time turns out, and for more great stories of India…follow this link!
Written By: Jane Laker
Photo Credit: Stephen Elliott
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