The persimmon purée is added to the stew along with coconut milk, and forms the base of the sauce (Kayte Young/WFIU)
Persimmon is not just for desserts. If you think of it like a sweeter version of butternut squash or sweet potato, persimmon makes sense in a savory dish. And persimmon has it’s own warm, rich flavor that lends depth to a lamb and veggie stew like this one.
This recipe lists specific vegetables, but you can substitute with the vegetables you have on hand or the ones that sound good to you. If you have a bunch of greens, such as mustard, chard, kale or spinach, add them, chopped, at the very end of the cooking.
If you wanted to make this vegetarian, substitute chickpeas for the lamb, saute the onions, carrots and peppers in coconut oil, and maybe add some thyme to the seasoning blend.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 4.25 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 2 pinches nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 Tablespoons ginger paste
- 2 Tablespoons curry spice blend (mine was called Mate)
- 2 Tablespoons mild yellow curry powder
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1.5 cup carrots, chopped
- 1.5 cup sweet peppers, chopped
- 1 quart. persimmon purée
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup stock, water, or coconut milk
- 1.5 cup broccoli, chopped
- 1.5 cup yellow squash, sliced
- 3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Brown the lamb over medium high heat, with a bit of oil, if needed.
- Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt, the black pepper, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg while the lamb is cooking.
- Once the lamb is brown, begin to build the flavors of the curry. Add the garlic, ginger and curry blends.
- Add the onion, carrot, sweet pepper and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. stir and cook for 5 minutes or so.
- Add the persimmon, coconut milk, stock and another teaspoon of salt and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add the broccoli and yellow squash, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for a 20 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning. Add lemon juice a litte at a time, tasting to see if you need more. Add siracha or another hot chili paste if you like it spicy. Add more salt if needed.
