Tabak Maaz Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg lamb ribs, cut into individual pieces
• 1.5 litres water (about 2½ pints — enough to fill a large saucepan two-thirds full)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 4 tablespoons Ghee
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• 250ml reserved lamb stock (about a mugful)

STEPS

1. Cut 1kg lamb ribs into individual pieces and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
2. Place the lamb in a large saucepan and cover with 1.5 litres (about 2½ pints) of water. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 2 bay leaves, 4 green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45–60 minutes, skimming off any foam, until the lamb is tender but still holds its shape.
4. Remove the lamb from the stock and pat the pieces thoroughly dry. Strain and reserve the cooking stock.
5. Heat 4 tablespoons Ghee in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat.
6. Carefully add the lamb pieces in batches and fry for 4–5 minutes on each side, turning occasionally, until deeply browned and crisp on the outside.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and add ½ teaspoon ground fennel, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder to the Ghee. Stir for 20–30 seconds.
8. Pour in 250ml (about a mugful) of the reserved lamb stock and scrape the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan.
9. Return the lamb to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, allowing the meat to absorb the spiced stock.
10. Remove the lid and cook for a further 3–5 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the lamb is coated in the rich Ghee-based sauce.
11. Serve the Tabak Maaz immediately, spooning the remaining Ghee and cooking juices over the lamb.

NOTES

Why Ghee and not oil?

Ghee is the traditional fat of Kashmiri cooking and stands up well to the two-stage method here — a long simmer followed by hot frying — while adding a richness to the sauce that a plain vegetable oil doesn't provide.

A note on context:

Tabak Maaz is part of the Kashmiri Wazwan, a lavish multi-course feast traditionally served at weddings and special occasions. Simmering the ribs until tender and then frying them until crisp is a technique used across several Wazwan dishes, giving rich cuts of meat a tender centre and a deeply flavoured, crisp finish.