Alu balu is the sour cherry, and in this qorma it does the job dried fruit does elsewhere in the Afghan kitchen, cutting rich lamb with something sharp and sweet. The lamb is browned with onion and ground coriander and braised slowly in a little cherry syrup until the sauce thickens, and only then do the cherries go in, with a big handful of coriander leaves and a pinch of cayenne, for a last twenty minutes uncovered so the fruit keeps its shape. It belongs to cherry season, when the same fruit was turned into jam and juice. Serve it with plain white rice, and with braised cauliflower or a bowl of yoghurt to stand against the sweetness.
Zone: Silk Road Table
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 450 g boneless lamb (in bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 700 g jar Morello cherries in light syrup (drained, 120ml syrup kept)
- 20 g fresh coriander leaves
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- plain white rice (to serve)
METHOD
- Heat the oil in a heavy lidded pot over a medium-high heat and cook the onion for about 3 minutes, until translucent.
- Pat the lamb dry, add it to the pot, sprinkle over the ground coriander and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring.
- Pour in the reserved cherry syrup, turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- When the sauce has thickened, add the cherries, coriander leaves, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Serve with plain white rice.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Morello cherries in light syrup, sold in jars at Lidl, Waitrose and Polish shops. Frozen sour cherries from Turkish or Iranian grocers also work; with no syrup to use, braise the lamb in 120ml water with 1 tbsp sugar instead. Lamb leg or shoulder from any butcher, or beef stewing steak. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Trader Joe’s dark Morello cherries in light syrup, as the source uses, or canned or frozen sour cherries. Boneless lamb stew meat or beef stew meat. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: Hold the cherries back until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened. Added early, they collapse into the braise and the dish loses its edge.
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