Needed Diversion: Crock Pot Indian Lamb and Spinach Curry

I love crock pot meals (despite never being quite as set-it-and-forget-it as advertised) and felt compelled to pull out my machine and try something new. Recent personal developments provided an opportunity to use some cooking as a needed diversion. I've made most other types of ethnic meals to some level of success but never attempted Indian until today. Curry fever is expanding in my life.

Servings: Serves 6–8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 yellow onions , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
• 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger , peeled and grated
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 cups beef broth , preferably high quality
• 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb , cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt

Directions

Note: For an easy mint pilaf to serve with the curry, steam 2 cups basmati rice; just before serving, add about 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint. Fluff mint and rice together with a pair of forks.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in ginger, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

 Pour in broth, raise heat to high, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. When broth comes to a boil, remove pan from heat.

Put lamb in a slow cooker, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt.

Add contents of frying pan. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 4 hours or low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Add baby spinach to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in 1 1/3 cups yogurt.

  Season to taste with salt (like, a lot). Spoon into shallow bowls and serve, passing remaining yogurt to add as a garnish.

Et Voila.

To the curry I also made some rice in the rice cooker with a little bit of butter, olive oil, and fresh-chopped mint. They complimented each other well. The meal was pretty good but lacking something to make it really great. We'll see how the leftover taste and see if I can put my finger on it.

Per Oprah (http://www.oprah.com/food/For-the-Crock-Pot-Indian-Lamb-and-Spinach-Curry)