Abida’s Spicy Lamb and Arugula Salad

Listening to Abida Parveen the famous Sufi singer, I was overcome with an urge to put cumin, lamb, and onions together in some spicy combination. A British journalist once said of Parveen that she could sing a grocery list and bring a tear to your eye. In this case she sang and a grocery list came to mind. So I thank her for her inspiration, and hope she would approve of the salad.

1 lb deboned lamb leg, sliced (if you want a less lamby salad use lamb loin, or beef)

1 tsp cumin

1 generous tsp coarse Turkish paprika

good pinch of ground cinnamon

a few dried chilies, crushed

½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

5-10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2-3 thin coins of peeled ginger, shredded

2 tsp salt

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

3 tsp olive oil

1-2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 small bunch coriander, washed and drained

1 small bunch arugula, washed and drained

1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Mix the lamb and all the spices up to and including the ginger. Add ½ tsp of salt and let marinate at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.

Mix the marinated lamb with 2 tsp of the oil.

Heat a decent sized frying pan on high heat until almost smoking hot. Add the remaining tsp of oil and fry the sliced onions, seasoning generously with salt, until softened and well coloured. Set aside.

Clean the frying pan and heat it again on high heat until it begins to smoke. Add half the lamb and stir fry until it is nicely browned, about 30 seconds. Toss the lamb with the fried onions. Repeat with the remaining lamb.

Drizzle the lamb and onions with the pomegranate molasses and allow to cool a minute. Toss with the coriander and arugula. Check the seasonings and add salt if needed. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and serve warm with some good bread.

Tagged as: arugula, lamb, pomegranate, salad, spicy, sufi