Meat + Poultry Lamb Lamb, Sweet Potato, and Coconut Mafé Curry 5.0 (2) 1 Review Perfectly tender lamb shoulder and creamy sweet potatoes balanced by floral coriander, warming turmeric and cumin, and piquant ginger and ground mustard make this West African curry a cozy delight. Fonio is a tiny grain that packs a nutritional punch and provides the perfect base for soaking up the flavorful curry sauce. By Pierre Thiam Pierre Thiam Pierre Thiam is a Senegalese chef, entrepreneur, author, and social activist best known for introducing West African cuisine to global fine dining. Executive chef of the award-winning restaurant Nok by Alara in Lagos, Nigeria and the signature chef of the five-star Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Thiam co-owns Teranga, a fast-casual food chain rooted in traditional African home cooking. He is also the founder/president of Yolélé Foods, a company focused on opening new markets for crops grown in Africa, such as their signature product fonio, an ancient "miracle grain" native to Senegal. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 13, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 1 hr 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients Curry Powder 2 tablespoons ground coriander 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Curry 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 medium [8-ounce] onion) ½ cup chopped green bell pepper (from 1 small [7-ounce] bell pepper) 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger (from 1 [2-inch] piece ginger) 1 medium garlic clove, chopped (about 1 teaspoon) 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (preferably natural and unsweetened) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cup chopped tomato (from 1 small [7-ounce] tomato) 3 cups vegetable broth 1 large (16-ounce) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups) 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk 1 to 2 habanero chiles (about 3/4 ounce) (to taste), stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) Additional Ingredients Cooked fonio (see Note) 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions Make the curry powder: Combine coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, and cayenne in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Set aside 2 tablespoons curry powder; store remaining curry powder for another use in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 months. Make the curry: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Toss together lamb and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Working in 2 batches, add lamb to pot, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer browned lamb to a separate medium bowl; loosely tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Do not wipe pot clean. Reduce heat under pot to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add reserved 2 tablespoons curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste mixture turns a dark red-mahogany color, about 2 minutes. Return lamb to pot, along with any juices that may have accumulated in bowl. Add chopped tomato; stir until lamb pieces are coated in tomato paste mixture. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover pot; reduce heat to low, and simmer until lamb is tender, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring bottom of pot once or twice toward end of cook time. Stir in sweet potato, coconut milk, habanero, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until sweet potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Spoon curry over cooked fonio, and sprinkle with parsley. Make Ahead Curry powder can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 months. Note Boneless lamb shoulder can be found at most grocery stores or butchers. Fonio can be found at Whole Foods or at hivebrands.com. Suggested Pairing Generous, plummy red: Toad Hollow Sonoma County Merlot Rate it Print