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Cook the Book: Indian Lamb and Carrot Salad
Jamie Oliver's warmly spiced Indian lamb and carrot salad is a "salad" in the same way that the Thai larb--ground chicken tossed with sweet basil and pungent shallots--is a salad, i.e. not really. But the pairing of carrot ribbons and crispy, garam masala-scented lamb sounds so obscenely good, who's keeping tabs?
Served with hot naan bread and a drizzle of yogurt, this salad easily becomes a light, delicious meal.
Cook the Book: Indian Lamb and Carrot Salad
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 4 |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds good-quality coarsely ground lamb
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- Sea salt
- 1 pound carrots (mixed colors if possible), peeled
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- A small bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves picked
- A small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 shallots or 1 small red onion, peeled
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 heaped teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- Extra virgin olive oil
Procedures
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1
Heat a large frying pan and fry your ground lamb until all the fat comies out of it. Add the garam masala and a good pinch of salt and give it a stir. Keep frying until the meat is crispy. Shave the carrots into long thin strips with a peeler or a mandolin slicer and keep them to one side.
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2
Heat a small frying pan over a moderate heat and toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds--they will start to smell nutty and gorgeous. Put them into a pestle and mortar and grind them up. Put the pan back on the heat and toast the sesame seeds until golden. Transfer to a plate.
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3
Slice your peeled shallots or onion wafer thin.
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4
To make your dressing, put the lemon zest and juice into a bowl and add the shallots or onion, grated ginger, ground cumin and a pinch of salt. Whisk everything together with about 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots, add the cilantro and mint leaves, and mix it all together using your fingers.
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5
Divide the crispy lamb between four plates and put the dressed salad on top. Sprinkle with toasted sesame. Serve with naan bread, yogurt and lemon wedges, if desired.
