Lamb and Asparagus Stew

This Middle Eastern stew can make for some great comfort food. It only takes about half an hour to cook, and it's dead easy. This recipe is mostly Iranian in origin; the Iranians use okra instead of asparagus, but asparagus is much easier to find. If you can get a hold of some fresh okra, then it's easy to substitute.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 504 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• ½ (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ pound cubed lamb stew meat

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the lamb, salt, pepper, and turmeric; cook and stir until the lamb is no longer pink on the outside, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, water, and garlic. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender, about 25 minutes.

Step 2

Once the lamb is tender, stir in the asparagus, and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender, about 3 minutes.