Lamb Stew (Armenian Khashlama)

Khashlama is a traditional Armenian vegetable and lamb stew. Made with simple ingredients, this iconic Armenian dish is delicious, satisfying, and, surprisingly, easy to make. Khashlama is a celebratory dish usually prepared for special occasions. It's often cooked by the men of the family, who get together to chop the vegetables and marinate the meat. They also take their time to socialize and catch up on the latest family updates making the process of preparing this dish a part of the main event.

The word Khashlama comes from the Armenian word "khashel," which means to boil. So, basically Khashlama consists of meat and vegetables boiled together in a rich, delicious broth. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago Khashlama was prepared by people living high in the mountains. These regions didn't have a wide variety of foods, but they always had plenty of lamb. During those times, Khashlama was a summer dish because this was when the fresh lamb and juicy vegetables were available. It was prepared over a fire in traditional cylindrical Armenian clay ovens called tonir.

3½ lbs lamb, bone-in
8 medium potatoes, peeled
5 medium tomatoes
1½ medium onion
2 cups red wine
½ cup water
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

To Serve:
red paprika or smoked red paprika
fresh parsley
fresh cilantro
fresh basil

Cut the meat into ¾" thick slices (about the thickness of a small steak). Place the slices on a cutting board and generously season with kosher or sea salt, black pepper, and paprika. Leave the meat to marinate for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the potatoes by slicing them into ½" thick rounds. Place the sliced potatoes into a bowl and season with kosher or sea salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss, making sure the potatoes are evenly covered in seasonings.

Slice the tomatoes into ½" thick rounds and set aside.

Slice the onion thinly. Set aside.

In a large pot, layer the ingredients by placing 3 or 4 tomato slices on the bottom of the pot, followed by a layer of onions, then meat, and finally potatoes.

Repeat the layers until all the ingredients have been used.

Add the red wine and water.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook for about 50-60 minutes until the meat and potatoes are tender and cooked through. (Don't stir the stew as it cooks.)

Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.