Fenugreek Curry Lamb Popsicles - Caity

I remember the first time I tasted these lamb popsicles. I must have eaten at least a whole rack to myself. I asked for these lamb popsicles for about 5 years on my birthday and Brendan continues to ask for this, not just for his birthday, but several times a year. My mom first tried this recipe when she was given the "Vij's" cookbook by Barb Cochrane, a Canadian friend who highly recommended the lamb popsicles, and it instantly became a favorite.

Vij's is an Indian restaurant in Vancouver, Canada and it is well-known worldwide as having some of the best Indian food. This summer, Erin and I drove to Vancouver and we decided going to Vij's was one of the biggest "have to's" of the trip. We knew the restaurant was incredibly popular and would be very crowded so we got there at 5:00 right when the restaurant opens. We were told it would be about an hour wait so we grabbed a seat in the bar and were served all sorts of delicious Indian treats for free while we waited. 

Dinner was fabulous and Vij (the owner and author of the cookbook) greets every table and spent time talking to Erin about her experience in India searching for 2 Vagabonds merchandise. I ordered a ghee-marinated chicken (I can feel my salivary glands kicking in just thinking about it) and we both ate ourselves sick. If you're ever in Vancouver, you have to go! 

This recipe is fairly simple to make and mostly requires mixing ingredients together. The most flavorful ingredient of this curry is called Fenugreek. There are several parts of the Fenugreek plant that are sold as spices and this particular recipe calls for dried Fenugreek leaves which can be a little more tricky to find. If you live in Portland, please ask me for some because I bought a box is big enough, that it will last me my entire lifetime. And if you live in Salt Lake City, ask my mom.  Otherwise, look in an Indian market for dried Fenugreek leaves, also called kasoori methi.

Serves 6

One year ago: Egyptian Kosheri

Two years ago: Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo

what you'll need: 

Lamb:

1/4 cup sweet white wine

3/4 cup grainy yellow mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 lbs French-cut racks of lamb, cut into chops

Curry Sauce:

4 cups whipping cream

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp dried green Fenugreek leaves

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 to 4 Tbsp canola oil

3 Tbsp finely minced garlic

1 tsp turmeric

Lamb: Combine wine, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lamb and coat well with marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. From experience, it also tastes great after 30 minutes... I was hungry and could't wait! 

Curry: In a large bowl, combine cream, salt, paprika, cayenne, fenugreek leaves and lemon juice. 

Heat 3 to 4 Tbsp of canola oil in a medium pot on medium heat and sauté the garlic until golden. Stir in

1 tsp turmeric and cook for 1 minute. 

Stir in the cream mixture and cook on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it's gently boiling. 

Preheat a stove-top cast iron grill or barbecue to high heat. Place lamb on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. 

Serve popsicles piping hot off the grill. Depending on their size, place 4 to 5 lamb popsicles on each plate. Pour the cream curry over the meat or ladle it into a small bowl and use as a dipping sauce. 

Serve with long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati, and green beans. 

One year ago: Egyptian Kosheri

Two years ago: Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo

Check out how excited Erin is during our trip to Vij's in Vancouver!