Anya Bell
BAHons, Prekure - Health Coach, Nutritional Science
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulder/leg roast
- 1 cup natural yogurt
- 3 medium red onions, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 8 or 9 cardamom seeds, lightly crushed
- 2 Tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp (each) sea salt and cracked pepper
- 1 Tbsp chilli flakes (optional) to taste
- Juice 1 lemon
- 2 tin lentils in brine, drained and rinsed
- Tinned or fresh cherry tomatoes
To Serve
- Roti Wraps
- Fresh salad
- Raita
Instructions
1. Marinade the lamb
Combine yogurt, lemon juice and half of the garlic and ginger, all the coriander, cardamom and cumin seeds, half the salt and pepper.
Rub this mixture over the lamb, massaging into the skin.
Leave to marinade, preferably overnight.
2. Prepare for cooking
Finely slice the onions and place at the bottom of a large casserole dish, or dutch oven.
Add the spices and drained lentils.
Add the cherry tomatoes.
Stir to combine.
3. Add the lamb
Place the lamb over the onion/spice/tomato mix.
4. Cover with tinfoil (or lid)
Cover the lamb and cook at 160 degrees for approximately 2 hours, depending on the size of the lamb, or until flesh is starting to pull away from the bone (lamb leg). Or you could place in a slow cooker in the morning.
(Optional) Remove the cover or lid and place back in a HOT oven (180 degrees +) to crisp up the skin – approximately 20 minutes.
5. Prepare the sides
Serve with finely sliced red cabbage, baby rocket and grated carrot and lightly warmed roti wraps and yogurt raita.
6. Ready to Serve
Let the lamb rest for a few minutes, then slice or shred the flesh.
7. Build your Roti Wrap Salad – your way
Offer the components of the meal separately, so that each person can build their own meal, whether they prefer it salad style, or in a folded or rolled wrap.
The lamb and lentils can even be toasted in the roti wrap with the salad served on the side – you do you!
Recipe Notes
- Involve younger children with draining and rinsing the lentils, and measuring out the spices. Older children or adolescents can be in charge of preparing the salad ingredients.
- **Family Style service: make all the components of the meal available to everyone to serve themselves in any order or quantity they prefer. Serving meals family style is a proven method for children to learn to eat a wider diet through positive mealtime experiences and autonomy.
- This meal requires some planning and preparation but it is worth it when you come home to a delightfully tender and fragrant dish that nourishes.
- To make this meal in winter, serve with fragrant basmati rice.
A bit more about the master chef behind this recipe…
Anya has been feeding hungry learners for many years and her focus is on developing healthy, informed, responsible and positive relationships between children and their food and eating.
Anya has studied Nutrition, with a focus on children and adolescents, and through her work as a cook and nutrition advisor in the early learning space, she has been able to practice and teach positive eating relationships (University of Idaho and Ellyn Satter Institute) through a lens of Reggio Emilia and Te Whariki.
With a family of five, Anya focuses on humble, nourishing and sustainable family meals that are satisfying, tasty and don’t break the budget. Just as our great-grandparents once did.
Anya is currently developing menus and food education for Libelle Group. When she is not in the kitchen, browsing food ideas or reading cookbooks, Anya loves wandering in nature with her dog, Charlie.
You can find Anya at Anya Bell.
