Garam Masala Lamb Stew

Had another awesome weekend full of friends, horses, and hikes. Friday was spent hiking and at the barn riding and hanging out with the crew. Man am I starting to get sentimental about leaving. More than anything else I'm going to miss the barn. I've spent more hours there than any other place these past four years.

Saturday a bunch of people and I were up before the sun to drive down into Lexington, KY for the Rolex 3-Day Event - an Olympic level international horse trial. Seeing the riders gallop around the XC course was pretty inspiring; to be totally honest though, it's the first time I've watched cross country and not wanted to go for a gallop. I guess I'm finally converting to dressage.

Today was spent hiking up an appetite. It rained all day yesterday and looked like it might storm this morning, so before I headed out I threw this stew into the crock pot. The hike was awesome - went around eight miles and the weather was perfect. Came back, rode Bond Boy, and then dove into this stew.

Garam Masala is a spice mix from Northern India; each blend is unique, but most contain warm spices, including cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and pepper. Coming home to a house smelling like that was too good to be true. I immediately had to taste it, even though had just gotten dropped off from a late lunch. Wholesome, warm, but not too heavy, this was a great post-hike stew. It heats up nicely as leftovers and makes enough for four people, more or less. 

Tip: For reheating, add a little water before microwaving. It keeps the broth consistent and prevents the meat from drying out in the microwave.

Garam Masala Lamb Stew
Ingredients
3/4 lb lamb stew meat, or 4 lamb loin chops
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons Garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 cups spinach

1. Heat crock pot to low; throw chickpeas, tomatoes, stock, masala and salt in the pot. Stir to combine. 
2. Add the lamb, stir and make sure it's covered by the liquids.  Add the chopped onion.
3. Using a large knife, make a paste from the four garlic cloves. For methodology, see this video: Click!
4. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, keeping it covered. Resist the urge to lift the lid to smell/taste test.
5. Before serving, add the spinach and cook 10 minutes or until wilted.
6. Serve stew over rice, noodles, with naan - whatever's left in the pantry.