Iraqi Lamb and Eggplant Stew with Pitas
This sweet and tangy Middle Eastern stew, with falling-apart-tender lamb, is one of wordsmith and perfect host Jesse Sheidlower's favorites. He found it in Nawal Nasrallah's Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine. "It's a fantastic though little-known cookbook," Sheidlower says. "It's incredibly extensive and provides a lot of cultural and historical background. And it's good to keep in mind that all of this Iraqi culture and history is getting destroyed." Slideshow: More Middle Eastern Dishes
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Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Notes
Pomegranate molasses is basically reduced pomegranate juice. Baharat is a complex spice blend typically containing cumin, coriander and paprika. Both are available at Middle Eastern groceries.
Suggested Pairing
This stew's tangy earthiness makes it a little too tart for red wine and a little too rich for white—in other words, ideal for rosé, particularly more substantial ones from the New World.