INGREDIENTS
2 lbs large or extra large onions
¼ cup ghee, extra-virgin olive oil, or neutral oil such as grapeseed
2 lb boneless shoulder of American lamb (excess fat trimmed and discarded, cut into 2 inch/5 cm cubes)
10 garlic cloves, grated
3 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
½ tsp ground green cardamom
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground Kashmiri chilli powder or (¾ tsp smoked sweet paprika + ¼ tsp ground cayenne)
1 ½ cups
Fine sea salt
2 scallions, trimmed, both white and green parts thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Dice 1 ¾ quantity of the onions and the remaining ¼ slice thinly into rings. Reserve the onion rings for the garnish.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat (a stockpot will also work). Add the ¾ quantity of the diced onions, cover with a lid, and cook until they turn golden brown. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, if they start to stick, reduce the heat and add 1 to 2 Tbsp of water. The amount of time taken for the onions to brown will vary considerably. Don’t worry about getting the onions too dark, they will continue to cook and turn brown as the dish cooks.
Add the lamb and continue to sauté until it turns brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and chilli powder and sauté until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the water, the remaining ¼ quantity of the diced onions, and ½ tsp salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, loosely cover with a lid and cook until the lamb is completely tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
The onions should transform into a very thick sauce. If it is too runny, simmer uncovered until the liquid reduces in volume, stir often to avoid burning. Taste and season with salt. Garnish with the onion rings and cilantro, and serve hot or warm with plain rice or flatbread such as roti, naan, or paratha.
Note: USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145F with a 3 minute rest
