Lamb & Chickpea Stew

(2 ratings - rate this recipe)

The lamb shoulder chops are beautifully cooked in the mixture of spices and vegetables, with a sweetness in the lamb bought out with the dates.

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 2 hours

Serves 4

Low Fat

Excellent source of iron

Low Sodium

Ingredients

Lamb

800g Quality Mark lamb shoulder chops (or thereabouts)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon each ground coriander, ground ginger, ground fennel seed, paprika, ground turmeric
pinch ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 large carrots, cut into even-sized pieces
2 potatoes, cut into even-sized pieces
4 dates, pitted and chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
1½ cups vegetable stock or other light flavoured stock
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Lamb

Mix the spices together in a bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the lamb shoulder chops.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown on both sides. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.

Add the remaining oil, the onion wedges, carrots, potatoes and dates with any remaining spices into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing them with a wooden spoon.

Pour the tomatoes and stock into the hot frying pan and bring up to a simmer, then spoon into the casserole dish with the chops and season.

Place in the oven and cook for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and add the chickpeas. Return to the oven for a further ½ hour.

Serve alongside steamed broccoli or your favourite greens.

Suitable Cuts
Nutrition
Tips & Tricks

LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS

DICED LAMB SHOULDER

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Serving size: 684g

Energy kJ (kcal)	2656 (634)
Protein (g)	50
Fat (g)	30.5
Saturated (g)	9.0
Carbohydrate (g)	35.3
Sugars (g)	17.3
Sodium (mg)	650
Iron (mg)	6.0
Zinc (mg)	8.1
Vitamin B12 (ug)	5.0
Selenium (ug)	21.1

Lamb shoulder chops are perfect for slow cooking, making them tender and succulent.
Cut excess fat from lamb shoulder chops if necessary.
Keep all the vegetables a similar size when cutting so they all cook at the same time.
Fresh Medjool dates are great here. They are found in the fresh fruit and vegetable section of your supermarket.
Slow cooker: On high for 3-3½ hours. Brown chops first to remove excess fat. Root vegetables often take longer to cook than meat. Cut them into small even-sized pieces, 1-2cm and place at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add meat and remaining ingredients except chickpeas to the slow cooker. Add chickpeas in the last ½ hour along with a cornflour paste to thicken.