SC - Lamb recipe and vegetable stew recipe request

[david friedman]

About a month ago, Katerine asked:
>   I've been requested that I prepare approx four days worth of stews for a
>huge event in June.  The organiser has said that he basically wants stews
>including lamb at the meat, since he has lots of lamb already.  He also
>wants stews for the vegetarian factor.  I have a few recipes for lamb
>stews, but need some help with the others.  Does anyone out there have good
>recipes using lamb and vegetables that are hot and filling, or vegetable
>dishes that provide the same?

Hoping this will still be useful, here are a couple of Islamic 
recipes from the Miscellany.

Jazariyyah
Ibn al-Mabrad p. 18

Meat is boiled with a little water. Carrots, garlic cloves and peeled 
onions are put with it, then crushed garlic is put with it. Some 
people put spinach with it also; some make it without spinach. 
Walnuts and parsley are put in. [end of original]

2 lb meat (lamb)
4 carrots	2 cloves crushed garlic
6 whole garlic cloves (~ .6 oz)
4 very small onions (5 oz)
1/4 c parsley
2 c spinach = 5 oz
1/4 c walnuts
[1/2 t pepper]
[3/4 t coriander]
[1 t cinnamon]
[3/4 t salt]

Cut the lamb up small and put it in 1 1/2 c water with cinnamon, 
pepper, coriander and salt. Simmer 10 minutes. Add carrots cut up, 
whole garlic cloves, and small onions. Simmer 10 minutes. Add crushed 
garlic. Simmer 20 minutes. Add spinach. Simmer 10 minutes. Garnish 
with walnuts and parsley. The spices are based on similar recipes in 
al-Bagdadi.

Note: Ibn al-Mabrad's cookbook  has very brief recipes, and gives 
almost no spices in any recipe; we tend to use al-Bagdadi's cookbook, 
which is also eastern Islamic (although 13th c instead of 15th c.) to 
give an idea of spicing.

Cooked Dish of Lentils
al-Andalusi p. C-5 (no. 377)

Wash lentils and put them to cook in a pot with sweet water, oil, 
pepper, coriander and cut onion. When they are cooked throw in salt, 
a little saffron and vinegar; break three eggs, leave for a while on 
the flame and later retire the pot. Other times cook without onion. 
If you wish cook it with Egyptian beans pricked into which have been 
given a boil. Or better with dissolved yeast over a gentle fire. When 
the lentils begin to thicken add good butter or sweet oil, bit by 
bit, alike until it gets absorbed, until they are sufficiently cooked 
and have enough oil. Then retire it from the flame and sprinkle with 
pepper. [end of original]

1 1/2 c dried lentils = 10 oz
2 1/4 c water
1 1/2 T oil
3/8 t pepper
1 1/2 t coriander
2 medium onions = 1/2 lb
3/4 t salt
12 threads saffron
2 T vinegar
4 eggs
4 T butter (or oil)
more pepper

Slice onions. Put lentils, water, oil, pepper, coriander and onion in 
a pot, bring to a boil, and turn down to a bare simmer. Cook covered 
50 minutes, stirring periodically. Add butter or oil and cook while 
stirring for about 5 minutes. Add salt, saffron (crushed into 1 t 
water) and vinegar, and bring back to a boil. Put eggs on top, cover 
pot and keep lentils at a simmer; stir cautiously every few minutes 
in order to scrape the bottom of the pot without stirring in the 
eggs. We find that if the heat is off, the eggs don't cook; if the 
heat is up at medium, the eggs cook, but the lentils start to stick 
to the pot. A larger quantity might hold enough heat to cook the eggs 
without leaving it on the flame. When the eggs are cooked, sprinkle 
with a little more pepper and serve. Makes 5 1/4 c.

This is one of our favorites. We have cooked it several times at 
Pennsic, served with rice, and I do it routinely at home--it's very 
simple to make and my kids will eat it.

Elizabeth/Betty Cook