Simply Blissful Living - Taste of Fiji

  Ingredients: 1 lb lamb/mutton** (bone-in or boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces) For marinade:  3 tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt 1 tsp garam masala (or Fiji masala) 1 tsp hot masala or meat masala 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder Main ingredients: 1 medium onion, sliced 2 tbsp crushed garlic 1 tbsp crushed ginger 1–2 tbsp ghee or oil Chili peppers to taste (whole or crushed) 1 tsp cumin seeds Sprig of curry leaves  1 tbsp garam masala (or Fiji masala)  2 tsp hot meat masala or pulao masala  1–2 tsp chili powder  1 tsp turmeric  1–2 tsp tandoori masala (optional)  1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 chopped tomatoes, or ½ cup tomato purée  Salt and pepper, to taste  Hot water (start with ½ cup, add as needed) For garnish: Fresh cilantro or chives (optional) Method:  Wash the lamb pieces and pat dry. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with garam masala, hot masala, and chili powder. Add the lamb pieces, ensuring they’re well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at l...

It wasn’t a meal we had daily, heck, we’d be lucky if we ate it once a month! Lamb curry was something that was an indulgence growing up in Fiji. Lamb, like all other meats, was expensive; therefore, it was deemed a “special” meal. Once every month or so, mom would go to “town” or B Kumar Supermarket on Shalimar Street and buy lamb. I don’t remember if it was precut pieces or if mom did the chopping herself, something she is quite good at, by the way, but I do remember the delicious lamb curry she made! We would all sit down together, with rice and lamb aur aloo tarkari (lamb and potato curry) and devour all the food on our Fiji la plate! Man, those were the good ole days!  Even though we can now afford lamb on a regular basis, we still don’t make lamb curry regularly. It is a still a treat. Even Ma doesn’t make it often, but when she does, I make sure to grab a plate of food at her house or she’ll pack me some and bring it by. {moms are great that way}  Recently, I...