Lamb with baharat, braised vegetables and herb yoghurt dressing

Tamara West

This recipe for lamb with baharat is a perfect example of an exotic tasting meal that’s quick, cheap and best of all provides little cleanup (it’s all cooked in one dish).

Lamb and vegetables

650 g	Lamb shoulder, roasted (Main)
3 Tbsp	Baharat seasoning, store bought, or see recipe below
1	Red onion, cut into wedges
1 punnet	Cherry tomatoes
2	Garlic cloves, sliced
4	Carrots, peeled and quartered lengthways
¼	Preserved lemons, thinly sliced
1 cup	Olives, green
½ cup	Chicken stock
1 Tbsp	Thyme leaves
2 tsp	Ground cumin
2 tsp	Ground coriander
1	Cinnamon stick

Herb yoghurt

½ cup	Fresh herbs, eg mint, coriander and parsley, chopped
¾ cup	Natural yoghurt
1 tsp	Honey
1 tsp	Sumac powder

Baharat spice blend

4 tsp	Cumin seeds
3 tsp	Black peppercorns
3 tsp	Fresh coriander
½ tsp	Cardamom seeds
1 tsp	Cloves, whole
3 tsp	Paprika
2 tsp	Ground cinnamon
1 tsp	Ground nutmeg
½ tsp	Salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C. Rub lamb with baharat and leave to marinate at room temperature.
2. In a roasting dish combine onion, cherry tomatoes, garlic, carrots, preserved lemon, olives, chicken stock, thyme, cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Season well with salt and pepper. Season lamb well with salt and place on top of vegetables in roasting dish. Cover with tinfoil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until lamb is cooked through and carrots are tender.
3. Mix all herb yoghurt ingredients together. Once cooked, set lamb aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve slices of lamb with the braised vegetables and herb yoghurt.

Baharat spice blend

1. Toast cumin, black pepper, coriander and cardamon seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. Place into a mortar and pestle along with cloves and grind to a powder.
2. Combine with paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Makes about 1⁄2 cup. Will keep in an airtight container for months.