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Qorma-e-alu bukhara
Lamb stew with dried plums
قورمه آلو بخارا (qorma-e alu bukhara): Kabul lamb stew with deep-browned onions and sour dried plums
Of all the qormas served at Kabul dinner parties, the one with alu bukhara, small sour dried plums, is the one guests remember: lamb braised slowly in a dark sauce of caramelised onion, garlic and warm spices, with plums that collapse into it and leave a sweet-sour tang that cuts through the richness. It is ladled over chalow or eaten with naan, often alongside a lighter vegetable dish and a bowl of yogurt. Chicken works too, using thighs on the bone and halving the simmering time. Pale, half-fried onions give a thin, sweet sauce with none of the proper colour, so be patient and take them to a deep chestnut brown. Chef's tip: add the plums for the last half hour only; if they cook from the start they vanish completely and make the sauce too sour.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 onionsthinly sliced
- 1 ¾ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bonecut into 5 cm pieces
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 cm piece fresh gingergrated
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ cups hot water
- 3 ½ oz sour dried plums (alu bukhara)rinsed
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)if the plums are very sour
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 5 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium heat and fry 3 onions for 12–15 minutes, stirring more as they darken, until deep chestnut brown.
15 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bone, turn the heat up and fry for 6–8 minutes, turning, until the meat is browned on all sides.
8 minStep 3: Add 4 cloves garlic, 2 cm piece fresh ginger, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder and stir for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
2 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp tomato purée and 1 ½ tsp salt and fry for 2–3 minutes until the oil turns red.
3 minStep 5: Pour in 2 ½ cups hot water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes.
45 minStep 6: Add 3 ½ oz sour dried plums (alu bukhara), and 1 tsp sugar if the plums are sharp, and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes more until the lamb is very tender and comes away from the bone and the sauce is thick, with oil pooling on top.
30 minStep 7: Taste for salt and serve with chalow or naan.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qorma-e-alu bukhara take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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