I bought a pound of goat meat at the grocery store, with only the faintest idea how to prepare and serve it. Even B, with his unwavering faith in my cooking abilities, was skeptical. He thought it would taste like skinny lamb. I settled on an Indian-style stew which would give the meat time to lose its toughness. Now, this isn't your Indian grandmother's recipe which takes three days to make and where everything is from scratch. In coming up with it, I took some shortcuts and liberties, but it's still a tasty dish with good flavour and some kick. I brought some for Nini to try and was pleased as punch when she gave it a genuine, honest-to-goodness thumbs up! Serves about 4.
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Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add spices: 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cardamom, curry, turmeric, cumin, cloves, Indian masala and ginger. Cook until the spices release their aromas, while gently shaking pan. If using whole spices, grind them with a mortar and pestle. Tap spices out into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 T oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear 1 lb bone-in goat cubes for about 4-5 minutes, turning to ensure all sides become a dark brown. Remove meat cubes using tongs and place in a slow cooker.
Reduce heat slightly, and add a little more oil if the saucepan is too dry. Add 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces, 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 2" pieces, and 1 onion, peeled and quartered. Cook for about 5 minutes until starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Add 1 can Madras cooking sauce and one jar of dal (lentil stew), one jar's worth of cold water and the spices. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the goat meat in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
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Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add spices: 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cardamom, curry, turmeric, cumin, cloves, Indian masala and ginger. Cook until the spices release their aromas, while gently shaking pan. If using whole spices, grind them with a mortar and pestle. Tap spices out into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 T oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear 1 lb bone-in goat cubes for about 4-5 minutes, turning to ensure all sides become a dark brown. Remove meat cubes using tongs and place in a slow cooker.
Reduce heat slightly, and add a little more oil if the saucepan is too dry. Add 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces, 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 2" pieces, and 1 onion, peeled and quartered. Cook for about 5 minutes until starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Add 1 can Madras cooking sauce and one jar of dal (lentil stew), one jar's worth of cold water and the spices. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the goat meat in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Serve with naan or basmati rice (or crusty bread, in my case), plus pickled vegetables or chutney as accompaniments.
