Saucy Lamb

This was rather a lot of work, but very very tasty. We had it over rice. (Also, I made it a month or two ago and somehow never hit "publish" on this post...)

Cashew Lamb with a Coconut Milk Sauce 
adapted from 660 Curries

• 1/2 C raw cashews
• 1/3 C water
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 lb boneless leg of lam, trimmed, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (I used grapeseed)
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds (from white or green pods)
• 6 cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and diced or finely grated
• 6 garlic cloves, diced or finely grated
• 1 C water
• 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 C distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

Combine the cashews, water, and salt in a blender jar or mini-prep bowl. Puree to make a smooth marinade. Put the lamb in a gallon size ziploc bag, add the marinade, and stir or toss (with a sealed bag, of course!) to coat lamb with mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (can also be done the day before).

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry until caramel brown, 8-10 min.

Meanwhile, combine the seeds and cloves in a spice grinder or a mini-prep and grind until the texture resembles that of ground pepper. Set aside.

Add the lamb and as much of the marinade as possible to the onions and cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 8-10 min. The sauce should absorb into the meat.

Add the ground spices and the turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the water and stir to deglaze. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is fork tender, 18-20 min.

Stir in the coconut milk, vinegar, and cayenne and simmer for an additional 2-4 minutes so the flavors can mingle a bit. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

serves 4