Curry lamb, spinach and chickpea stew

Spicy with a milky creaminess, this robust stew came out of a craving for Indian food and a bunch of fresh organic produce from a local farm. A perfect meal for a cold winter night.

Can be made with any kind of meat – but we bought lamb center steaks and cubed them up and it was really good. Could also skip the meat altogether for a hearty vegetarian stew.

• 1 lb. lamb center steak, cubed into 1 inch squares
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed thoroughly
• 2 cans (15 oz./ea.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cinammon
• 1 tsp. tamarind
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup half and half

1. 1Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Sautee onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. 2Add diced meat and brown on all four sides. Diced garlic can go in now too.
3. 3Add all spices, in any order, stirring frequently, once onions are cooked and lamb is browned
4. 4Add sour cream and half and half
5. 5Add rinsed spinach and chickpeas, stir for a minute straight until everything is mixed together.
6. 6Simmer on low heat for about half an hour until it starts to smell really good.
7. 7Serve over rice or mashed root vegetable bed.