Dimlama

Ingredients

• 800 g lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into large pieces
• 100 g lamb tail fat, diced, or 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 onions, cut into thick rings
• 4 carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 2 peppers, cut into wide strips
• 3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 whole head of garlic, papery skin rubbed off
• quarter of a small white cabbage, leaves left whole
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 100 ml water
• 1 small bunch coriander and dill, chopped

Before you cook

• Cut the meat into pieces about the size of a matchbox.
• Slice the onions into thick rings and cut the carrots into thick rounds.
• Halve the potatoes and cut the peppers into wide strips.
• Pull the cabbage leaves off whole and keep them intact.
• Rub the loose skin off the garlic head but leave it in one piece.

Steps

1. Render the diced lamb fat in a heavy casserole over a medium heat for 6 minutes until the pieces are crisp and golden.
2. Turn the heat to high and brown the meat for 6 minutes, just enough to colour it on two sides.
3. Take the pot off the heat and level the meat into a single layer.
4. Lay the onion rings over the meat and season them with a third of the salt, cumin and pepper.
5. Lay the carrots over the onions in an even layer.
6. Add the pepper strips and the tomato slices, then season again.
7. Bury the whole garlic head in the middle and tuck in the bay leaves.
8. Pack the halved potatoes on top, cut side down, and season with the last of the salt and spices.
9. Pour the 100 ml of water down the side of the pot rather than over the vegetables.
10. Cover the whole surface with the whole cabbage leaves, overlapping them so they seal like a lid.
11. Put the lid on tightly and cook over a high heat for 10 minutes until you hear it hissing.
12. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring.
13. Take off the lid and check that a knife slides through the potatoes without resistance.
14. Lift out the cabbage leaves and lay them on a large warm platter.
15. Spoon the vegetables and meat on top in layers, keeping the pieces whole.
16. Pour the juices from the bottom of the pot over everything and scatter with the chopped herbs.