Curried Lamb Tacos for Curry Week

 Next week, October 9th til the 15th is National Curry Week here in the UK!  I was challenged by Tasty Easy Lamb to come up with an Indian Tapas kind of a dish, something quick and easy but also delicious!  You know how much I love a challenge.  As soon as I was asked, the wheels in my food-loving brain started turning. This is what I came up with!

Lamb is such a diverse meat and its really fun to take it beyond the traditional "roasted and served with mint box" that we tend to pigeon-hole it in.  It wasn't really something that I had eaten much of prior to moving over here to the UK, but something which I have fallen totally in love with over the past seventeen odd years.

Curry was also something which I had a limited experience with. I had spent a number of years on an armed forces base in Western Canada, which happened to be the British Army Training Unit in Canada.  I was introduced to Curry there by some friends we made which happened to be British and fell in love.

How amazing that I would get to combine these two great loves 

in one unique challenge!  

Meet Curried Lamb Tacos!  I know that Tacos are traditionally a Mexican thing, but bear with me here . . . this is truly fusion cuisine! Indian flavours, with British Lamb . . .  put together with a tex mex twist!

Quick, easy and delicious!  I used leg of lamb steaks, well trimmed and thinly sliced and then chopped.  The meat is lean and fabulous.  This gets marinated for about 15 minutes in a fusion of Indian curry spices with  splash of hot green pepper sauce (which I have just discovered and love, LOVE) . . .  I chose to use a Madras Curry Powder because I wanted some heat . . . but if you are not fond of heat you can use a milder one.

 

You soften some onion in a skiller and then  add the meat and brown it all over.  A bit of Indian beer gets poured on top and then the whole mixture is simmered until totally tender while you put together the cucumber raita topping and heat the folded flat breads. This takes literally minutes, no longer than fifteen.

 

 Fill your warm flatbreads with some shredded lettuce and sliced cucumber and then pile on that delicious lamb curry mixture, a nice bit of cooling raitia and a dollop of good mango chutney and Sanjay is your Uncle!  They are ready to be scarfed down and enjoyed with some more cold Indian beer!  These are sooooo delicious!  I have found a new love . . .  and it is Curried Lamb Tacos!

*Curried Lamb Tacos*

Serves 4 - 6

Printable Recipe 

A delicious Indian spiced twist on a family favourite.  I guess this is what you might call fusion cuisine?  I don't know.  I only know they are quick, easy and fabulously tasty! 

For the meat filling:

1 1/4 pounds leg of lamb steaks

1 onion, peeled and diced fine

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 TBS dried coriander flakes

1 TBS Madras curry powder (if you don't like heat, you can

use a milder curry powder)

pinch of chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarse black pepper

a few splashes of green pepper sauce (I use the Tabasco brand)

120ml Indian beer (1/2 cup) 

Cucumber Raita:

245g thick plain yogurt (1 cup)

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, grated

1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled, grated

1/4 tsp each ground coriander, salt and ground cumin

handful of fresh coriander or mint 

You will also need:

folded flat breads or flour tortilla boats

thinly sliced cucumber

finely shredded iceberg lettuce

a good mango chutney

I semi freeze my lamb steaks prior to cutting.  Trim off any fat or sinew and cut them into very thin strips crosswise and then, cut the strips into small bits.  Put the meat into a bowl.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander flakes, curry powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper and green pepper sauce.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.


Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and cook until softened.  Add the seasoned lamb.  Cook and stir over medium heat until browned.  Pour in the beer.  Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

While the lamb is cooking make the raita. Peel, deseed and grate the cucumber.  Peel and grate the ginger.  Stir the grated cucumber, ginger, coriander, salt and cumin into the yogurt along with the chopped coriander or mint. Set aside. 

Heat your flatbreads or tortilla boats according to the package directions. 


Place the heated breads/boats onto a serving platter.  Place some shredded lettuce in each and top with the cooked lamb mixture.  Garnish with a dollop of raita and some mango chutney and serve immediately.

I also tested some of these in those soft flour tortilla boats that you can buy in the shops now and they were equally as delicious!

 Lamb!  Its a fun, easy and delicious meat!  Something which you can enjoy any day of the week, or even when you are having a fun evening with friends!  Adaptable and great to work with.  Let your imagination take you away!

Happy Curry Week and भोजन का आनंद लें  बोन अप्पेतित! Namaste!