Eggplant Lamb Curry

Don’t be intimidated by all these ingredients! They’re easy to find and TOTALLY worth the effort.

A note on the spices: I used seeds and I toasted them but didn’t grind them. Use whatever you have, though. Don’t obsess over that part.

Sprinkle the lamb with the meat tenderizer on both sides. Let the lamb sit for as long as you can, but even 15 minutes is just fine. If you don’t have meat tenderizer just use salt—no worries.

Heat a large pan that has a tight-fitting lid to medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and once it’s hot add the lamb. Sear the lamb on both sides until brown but not even close to cooked through.

When the lamb is crispy on both sides, remove it to a plate. Add the eggplant to the pan with another drizzle of olive oil and LET IT SIT. We want the eggplant to get brown on the edges but not super soft.

Flip the eggplant after 2 minutes and let it keep browning for another 90 seconds or so, then remove THAT to a plate.

Now, for the curry! Add the coriander, cumin, fennel, and bay to the pan and stir the spices for 1 minute.

Add the chili pepper and onion. Stir them around until the onion just starts to become translucent.

Now, add the garlic and garam masala. Stir for 2 minutes until the veggies are nearly cooked through and very fragrant.

Then, add the tomato sauce! Mix to combine and heat the sauce just a bit. Add the lamb back to the pan and reduce the heat to medium so the curry is barely simmering. Cover the lamb and curry with 1 cup or so of chicken stock. You want the lamb to be nearly fully submerged in the sauce.

Put the lid on the pan let the curry simmer. Every 30 minutes or so, stir the curry and add more chicken stock if the pan is getting dry. Even with the lid on it’ll evaporate a bit. Adjust the temperature on your stovetop as needed so that the curry is barely bubbling.

My curry took about 2 hours for the lamb to be very tender and done to my liking. How long yours takes depends on how thick the pieces are, how big the bones are, and how much cooking happened in the initial searing process. Have patience—this part is worth the wait!

When the lamb is completely falling off the bone, remove as many bones as you can from the sauce, then add the eggplant back to the curry.

Taste, and add a sprinkle of salt if you’d like! Then, stir in the greek yogurt. Let the yogurt heat through in the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes, then serve.

Serve with naan and/or rice.