Lamb And Eggplant Stew Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and brown the lamb on all sides. Mix in the eggplants, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender and lightly browned.
• In a small bowl, blend the tomato paste and water. Mix into the pot with the lamb. Season lamb with allspice, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Add a little water as necessary to keep the ingredients moist.

Steps:

• THE NIGHT BEFORE:.
• Prepare eggplant by laying on paper towels and sprinkling with salt.
• Let sweat for 15 minutes, blot water, turn over and repeat.
• Saute eggplant quarters in non-stick frying pan sprayed with Pam until tender but not limp.
• Store in refrigerator until ready to place in crock pot.
• Dredge lamb in flour.
• Heat oil in same non-stick frying pan.
• Saute lamb and garlic until meat is brown on all sides.
• Store in refrigerator dish along with onions, mint, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper until ready to place in crock pot.
• IN THE MORNING BEFORE GOING TO WORK:.
• Spray crock pot with Pam.
• Place lamb, onion and spices in crock.
• Top with diced tomatoes.
• Stir just to combine.
• Lay eggplants over lamb mixture.
• Pour tomato sauce over eggplants.
• Top eggplants with slices of ripe tomato.
• Cook on low all day, up to 10 hours.
• Serve over basmati rice.

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
• Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
• Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve 2 tsp of salt in 1 quart of water. Add the eggplant, cover with a plate to keep the slices under the water, soak for 30 minute.
• Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven or cast-iron casserole pot, heat 2 Tbl of the oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, turning once until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened about 10 minutes. Add 3 quarts of water, the pomegranate molasses, split peas, dried chiles, baharat and coriander and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes stirring and skimming every so often.
• Drain the eggplant and pat dry. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 1/2 Tbl of the oil. Add 1/3 of the eggplant and cook over med-high heat until browned, 3 minutes per side; transfer to paper towels to drain. Brown the remaining eggplant in the 3 Tbl of oil. Add the eggplant to the lamb and simmer over low heat, stirring until the lamb is tender, 45 minutes.
• Transfer the lamb to a rimmed baking sheet, remove the meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch chunks. Boil the stew over high heat, skimming, until the liquid has reduced to 3 cups, about 40 minutes.
• Return the lamb to the stew and season with salt and pepper. Divid the pita among 4 bowls, ladle the soup on top and serve.

Steps:

• For the stew, fry the onion in the oil until soft. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, add them to the pan, and cook, turning to brown lightly all over. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and simmer, with the lid on, for 1 hour, until the meat is very tender, adding water if it becomes dry, but letting the sauce reduce at the end.
• For the eggplant sauce, prick the eggplants with a pointed knife to prevent them from bursting in the oven. Place them on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and roast them in a hot oven preheated to 475°F for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until they feel very soft when you press them and the skins are wrinkled. When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it into a purée with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes.
• Make a béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir over low heat for about 2 minutes, until it is well blended. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk gradually, beating vigorously all the time to avoid lumps forming. Add salt and nutmeg, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
• Off the heat, mix the eggplant purée into the béchamel sauce, then return to the heat, beating vigorously until it is well blended. Add the grated cheese and stir until it has melted. Add a little salt if necessary.
• Serve the meat stew in a wide shallow dish with the eggplant sauce in a circle around it.

Steps:

• Make lamb sauce:
• Cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lamb and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and pepper and sauté, stirring, 2 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant and tomatoes and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is just tender, about 40 minutes. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Make cheese sauce and cook pasta while lamb sauce is simmering:
• Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and add garlic clove and whole clove, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Add feta, salt, and pepper and cook, whisking vigorously, until cheese is well incorporated.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add sauce to eggs, whisking.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente, then drain in a colander. Toss half of pasta with lamb sauce and half with cheese sauce.
• Assemble pastitsio:
• Pour pasta with lamb sauce into a wide shallow 3-quart baking dish, spreading evenly. Spoon pasta with cheese sauce on top, spreading evenly.
• Bake pastitsio, uncovered, in middle of oven until bubbling and top is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.