Cook Island Lamb Curry


Ingredients:

  • 2 limes
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced (or to taste)
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and minced
  • 1 lb lamb leg meat, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 sweet potatoes, diced
  • 2 choko, cut into lengthwise strips
  • 1⁄4 fresh coconut, julienne
  • 1⁄2 cup dark rum
  • 2 cups chicken stock or 2 cups water
  • 2 yellow bell peppers, roasted and peeled, cut into lengthwise strips
  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled, cut into lengthwise strips
  • 0.25 (4 ounce) can green curry paste, to taste
  • 1 coconut, its liquid
  • Salt
  • 3 cups hot cooked brown rice (or more as needed)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro stem
  • 2 fresh limes, cut into wedges

Method:

  1. Scrub limes well. Use a peeler to remove only the zest. Set zest aside and juice the limes. Set juice aside.
  2. Heat peanut oil in a heavy skillet until shimmering. Add garlic, onion, ginger and lemon grass; cook, stirring, until tender but not beginning to brown.
  3. Add lamb meat and reduce heat to medium; cook until all sides are brown but the interior is not cooked. Add lime zests, sweet potatoes, choko, coconut, rum and stock/water. Simmer 45 minutes.
  4. Add water as needed but take care towards the end of the cooking time, as the final result should be stew rather than soup.
  5. Meanwhile, dice half the red and yellow pepper strips. At the end of the simmering time, stir in the pepper dice and some of the curry paste. Taste and add more curry paste accordingly. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in coconut liquid; simmer, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
  6. Stir in reserved lime juice and remove lime zest. Turn off heat and taste before adding salt as desired.
  7. Place cooked rice on a platter and make a well in the middle, mounding it around the edges. Put the lamb curry mixture into the well. To garnish the top of the stew, alternately arrange strips of red and yellow peppers in spoke
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