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Dhokri (Lawati Lamb and Dumpling Stew)

A recipe for Dhokri (Lawati Lamb and Dumpling Stew) from the cookbook, The Food of Oman.
Course Main
Cuisine Omani
Keyword dumpling, lamb, meat, Oman, Omani, stew
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup water

Stew:

  • 1-1 1/4 pounds lamb pieces such as stew meat or up to 2 pounds bone-in lamb
  • 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt divided
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 medium red onions minced
  • 4 cloves garlic mashed into a paste
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 plum or medium tomatoes cored and diced
  • Ghee for serving, optional

Instructions

To make the dough:

  • Place the flour, oil, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl and mix by hand until it just comes together. Knead the dough 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and elastic; pat it into a ball, place in a bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let rest 2 hours.

To make the stew:

  • Place the lamb, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 4 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer on low heat until the lamb is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Strain and reserve the broth. If using bone-in lamb, shred the meat and discard the bones. Set the lamb aside.
  • In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, red pepper flakes, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved lamb meat, turn the heat to high and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Pour in the reserved broth (if it doesn't equal 4 1/2 cups, add hot water to bring the liquid amount to 4 1/2 cups) and add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil and stir. Decrease the heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.
  • While simmering, divide the dough in half and stretch and roll each half into a long rope, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces with a knife, like gnocchi. You can press each piece with two fingers to create small indentations, or simply drop the pieces as they are into the simmering broth one at a time, stirring to prevent sticking.
  • Cover the pot, decrease the heat to low, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring gently and frequently so the dumplings do not stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. The dumplings should be chewy, but cooked through.
  • Add salt to taste and a spoonful of ghee for richness.