Curried Lamb Stew

Derek and I talked about the future again. Specifically. With dates. He said, "Next year." I said, "Next year what?" He said, "Everything. Moving in. Getting married. Building the thing we've been building." He said it at my kitchen table, on a Wednesday, with the same deliberate calm that he brings to every important moment. He wasn't proposing. He was planning. There's a difference. A proposal is a question. This was a schedule. Next year. 2020. The year we become a family officially instead of just in practice.

We talked about the kids. Marcus and Jasmine are the easier calculation — they're mine, they live with me, they'll adjust because adjusting is what they do. Isaiah and Zoe are more complicated. Isaiah is thirteen and has just started calling me Mom T and the progress is fragile and beautiful and I will not risk it by rushing. Zoe is ten and would probably move in tomorrow if we let her. The timing has to be right. Not for us — we're ready. For them.

I told Vanessa. She said, "FINALLY." Then she said, "I knew at the mixer." I said, "You didn't know at the mixer." She said, "I knew when you called me from the parking lot and said 'he might be a person.' I knew right then that he was your person." She might be right. She usually is. She was right about Brian. She was right about the green blouse. She was right about Mama approving. Vanessa is my oracle. My oracle who screams.

Made a celebratory dinner (just me and Derek, after the kids were in bed — Marcus asleep, Jasmine reading): lamb chops, the rosemary-garlic butter recipe that has become our date-night dish. We ate at the kitchen table with candles and the good plates (Mama's good plates, the ones I inherited, the ones that know the weight of celebrations). He reached across the table and held my hand and said, "Next year, same table, more chairs." I said, "Bigger table." He said, "Bigger table." The plan is set. The table is expanding. Next year. Everything.

Lamb has become our language for the moments that matter — and the night Derek sat at my kitchen table and said “next year, everything,” nothing else felt right. This curried lamb stew is the dish I reach for when ordinary ingredients need to do extraordinary work: the low simmer, the deep spice, the way it fills the whole kitchen and makes even a Wednesday feel like a celebration. We ate by candlelight on Mama’s good plates, and this is what was in the bowl.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or lamb broth
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Cooked rice or warm naan, for serving

Instructions

Season and sear the lamb. Pat lamb cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the lamb until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the aromatic base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Bloom the spices. Add curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne to the pot. Stir constantly for about 60 seconds, letting the spices toast gently in the oil and onion mixture. This step deepens the flavor significantly.
Deglaze and combine. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the seared lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot and stir to combine.
Simmer low and slow. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes. Nestle the potato cubes into the stew. Continue simmering, partially covered, for an additional 30–35 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
Finish with peas and adjust seasoning. Stir in the frozen peas and cook 3–5 minutes until heated through. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and curry powder as needed.
Serve. Ladle the stew over rice or alongside warm naan. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Curried Lamb Stew — The Night We Named the Year