Lamb Curry

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked
• 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 Tablespoon fenugreek
• 8-ounces boneless lamb leg, cubed
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, cut into a medium dice
• 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced plus fennel fronds picked from 1 stem
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

Place the soaked chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until tender, 2-3 hours.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek. Moving the skillet constantly, toast the spices until warm and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a spice grinder. Grind into a powder, combine with the flour, and toss with the lamb.

Lightly coat a large Dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium-high. When the oil is shimmering, add the lamb (work in batches if necessary to not over crowd the pot) and sear, turning as needed, until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a bowl and set aside.

Add the turmeric, onion powder, and onion to the pot. Sauté the onion, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add the celery and fennel and sauté until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and the seared lamb with any collected juices and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until meat is tender and almost shreddable but holds its shape, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro and fennel fronds, and serve.