Lamb in Chile Sauce (Kashmiri Mirchi Qorma)

Tender lamb simmers in a fiery sauce in this recipe from Ahdoo's Hotel in Srinagar, Kashmir. It is one of 30 or so lamb dishes that composes the 36 dish Kashmiri celebration feast called the wazwaan, a legacy of the 15th century Turko-Mongol conquerer Timur. He brought with him to Kashmir 1,700 skilled workers, including cooks; today, their descendents, the wazas, butcher whole lambs, breaking them down for dishes such as this succulent, spicy stew.

6 dried Kashmiri chiles or pasilla chiles, stemmed
2 small red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeño, stemmed
2 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
¼ cup Canola oil
1 tsp. kala jeera (black cumin seeds)
10 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
2 Indian or regular bay leaves
¼ cup tamarind paste
3 Tbsp. dried mint
1 Tbsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
sea salt

Heat a 6 qt saucepan over medium-high. Cook dried chiles until lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor; add fresh chiles and 1 cup water. Purée until smooth and return to pan. Add lamb, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, and 3 cups water; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until lamb is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer lamb mixture to a bowl.

Wipe pan clean; heat oil over medium-high. Cook cumin seeds, garlic, and bay leaves until seeds pop, 1-2 minutes. Add reserved lamb mixture, the tamarind paste, 1 Tbsp. mint, the chile powder, and salt; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until thickened, about 1 hour.

Garnish with remaining mint.

Makes 4-6 servings.