Lamb Quinoa Curry with Raita
As you all know from Instagram, I have a serious Indian food obsession. It has become an almost weekly staple for us on Sunday nights when returning home from a weekend away (which seems to be more often than not). While I am pretty consistent with where we order from and what dishes we get, I am loving a new dish addition that has been added to our rotation: raita (also known as raitha, pacchadi, kacholi, or kocchumber). This creamy and flavorful sauce of sorts is the perfect addition to a spicy and hot dish. It cools it down, adds that extra tang, and provides additional creaminess. **Raita is a traditional North Indian dish that is served in homes at night because it is said to be easier to digest (according to this post on the Hindu). For a more traditional raita recipe, please watch this video. Along with raita, I am on a consistent curry kick. For those who are not familiar with curry dishes, they have been a staple of eastern cuisine for centuries and, according to this post on Sukhi’s Indian Cuisine, while no one really knows when curry was invented, “the use of spices in a sauce to flavor meats has been tracked back to 2500BCE from Mohenjo-Daro.” From there, it is assumed that curries were spread across Asia and Europe via Indian monks traveling via the Silk Route. Now, we see curry flavors in dishes all across the world. While I haven’t perfected the thickness of the takeout curries I have been enjoying, I have found a way to bring the flavor to other styles of entrees. Alas, this lamb quinoa curry with raita.
As always with Freckled Foodie Do That Ish, these videos and recipes are groundwork for you to explore. I want you to bring your personality and preferences to the dishes I am showcasing. This is the perfect example of one that allows you to do that. Not a fan of carrots? Toss them to the side! Big fan of eggplant? Throw that in here! Truly, similar to a stir-fry or another vegetable loaded dish, you have the availability to include whichever vegetables you prefer and to remove any vegetables you don’t enjoy. For this specific recipe, I included some classics with bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, onion, and garlic.
Similar to all recipes that include some form of grain or cooked seed, I start cooking by tackling that step first. Since they basically cook themselves and can sometimes take the longest amount of time, I find it is the most efficient way to cook these types of recipes. As I mention in the video below, I am loving the Thrive Market sprouted quinoa. It is seriously next level when it comes to flavor. In order to add some additional flavor to the quinoa, I prefer to toast the seeds in ghee for a little bit prior to adding the water. Confused? Watch the video below! I promise, it is easy.
While the quinoa is cooking, sauté the ground lamb on a cast iron skillet with avocado oil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, and salt and pepper. Once the lamb is finished cooking, remove it from the skillet but leave the leftover fat and drippings. Add the chopped garlic and onion to that mixture along with the curry paste and sauté for ~5 minutes or until they are fragrant and translucent. Add the chopped bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini to that same skillet and cook for ~10 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly browned on the outside and cooked through. Combine the ground lamb, quinoa, and sautéed vegetables to create the base of this dish. To make the aforementioned raita sauce, combine yogurt with finely chopped cucumber and dill and the juice of 1 lime. Season that mixture with salt and pepper and combine together to create the yogurt sauce. Add a dollop of this sauce, per person, on top of the quinoa combination and enjoy!
Lamb Quinoa Curry with Raita
ingredients:
- Ground lamb (1lb)
- Bell pepper (1)
- Carrots (5)
- Zucchini (1)
- Yellow onion (1)
- Garlic (1)
- Cucumber (1/2)
- Dill (1/4 cup)
- Greek yogurt (1 cup)
- Quinoa (1/2 cup)
- Curry paste (1 tablespoon)
- Ghee (1 tablespoon)
- Avocado oil (1 tablespoon)
- Curry powder (1/2 teaspoon)
- Cayenne pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
- Turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon)
- Salt
- Pepper
instructions:
How to cook Lamb Quinoa Curry with Raita
- In a hot pot, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and, once melted, add in ½ cup of quinoa and allow to toast for ~1 minute
- Add in 1 ¼ cups of quinoa, cover, bring to a boil, then cook on low until all of the water is absorbed
- Chop the carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion into ¼ inch pieces and finely chop the garlic
- Heat a skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
- Add the ground lamb to the hot skillet and season with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of curry powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- Using a wooden spoon, flatten the ground lamb and allow to sear on that side for ~5 minutes and then break it into small pieces and cook by constantly moving it around the skillet for ~7 minutes, or until the lamb is fully cooked through
- Remove the lamb, leaving the drippings in the skillet, and set aside
- Over medium heat, add the chopped garlic and onion and 1 tablespoon of curry paste into the skillet and sauté for ~5 minutes, or until they are translucent and fragrant
- Add the chopped zucchini, bell pepper, and carrots into that skillet and cook for ~7-10 minutes, until they are a bit softer and cooked through
- While the vegetables are cooking, make the raita by combining 1 cup of Greek yogurt, thinly sliced cucumber, ¼ cup of finely chopped dill, and the juice of 1 lime in a bowl, mix well, and set aside
- Add the quinoa and ground lamb into the skillet with the vegetables and serve and combine
- Serve hot with a dollop or raita on top
- Gluten Free
- Soy Free
- Nut Free
- Dairy Free (depending on yogurt used)
** after a lot of self-reflection and doing the work of Layla F Saad’s Me and White Supremacy (a book I highly recommend everyone reads) and Rachel Rickett’s Social Activism 101 & 102 courses, I realized the cultural appropriation that was occurring on my website when it came to recipes. I was modifying recipes deeply embedded in oppressed cultures without paying any respect to the history or original ingredients used. After realizing this, I went through and made changes to many of my recipes. This section is part of what was edited and included.