Dayani and Krish both like mutton in any form. Mutton is the meat of goat and is a popular meat in India. In fact, it is more popular than beef. Beef is considered a cheap meat in India. Chicken is expensive since they are still free-ranging for the most part in India. Hindus and Muslims do not eat pork; Muslims never, and Hindus rarely.  Mutton is a good, middle of the road meat for meat-eaters in the Indian cuisine.  Apparently pound for pound it has the best protein even though it is a red meat. When we lived in Dallas, there were wonderful halal butchers in town because of the large Indian and Pakistani immigrant population in the city. You could go to these butcher shops–mostly run by Pakistani butchers–and they would give you the best cut of mutton while you waited. We don’t get mutton in Lock Haven. But we do get very good New Zealand lamb in the local grocery store. So we have been using lamb in dishes we would traditionally make with mutton. I  don’t eat meat at all but I like cooking it for Dayani and Krish. And the doglings like the bones too. And Dayani is my taster!

Here is a recipe for a lamb sauce that you can eat with any kind of small pasta–like rotini or farfaelle. Dayani and Krish like it. Dayani wants me to talk about her tooth as well here–okay, honey, your tooth is hurting. We’ll go see a dentist, okay? Now go brush your teeth! Scram!

1/2 pound of lamb cut in small pieces

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 red onions, minced

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup capers, drained

2 carrots, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

4-5 green beans, diced into 1′ pieces

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red cooking wine

rosemary, oregano, sage, parsley — all chopped–about a cup altogether

salt to taste

pepper to taste

paprika or some kind of chili pepper to taste

Method: Pour the olive oil in a deep, heavy sauce pan and on medium heat brown the lamb pieces. You should lightly rub salt and pepper on the lamb pieces before you brown them. When both sides have been browned, add the minced garlic to the lamb and stir. Do everything on low heat. Add minced onions to the mix and stir well. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, and the capers,  chopped oregano, sage, parsley and rosemary to the mixture. Stir everything well and fry for 2-3 minutes on low heat taking care not  to burn anything. Add the diced carrots and celery to the mixture and stir. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the red wine to the mixture and if you can find some kind of organic broth–vegetable or meat–add a full up of that as well.  Alternately you can add just enough hot water to submerge everything. The wine-liquid mixture will cook the meat and vegetables. Cover the pan tightly and cook on low heat for about an hour–lamb takes time to cook. So you should start ahead of time.

Boil about 4-5 quarts of water, add salt and cook the pasta according to directions till al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately mix the lamb sauce over the pasta and mix well.