Entree: Afghanistan – Central Culinary Region – شوروا ➤ Shorwa (Hearty Afghan meat and vegetable stew served as a nourishing main course)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 45 min

Total 2 hrs

Ingredients

- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1.5 lb (680 g) lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) rounds
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground black pepper
- 1.5 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, or to taste
- 8 cups (1.9 L) water or light beef stock
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the lamb pieces and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes; work in batches if necessary so the meat sears rather than steams.
2. Push the meat to the side, add the sliced onion to the pot and sauté until soft and starting to color, about 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour in the water or stock and bring to a gentle boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the lamb is tender.
6. Add the carrots and potatoes, simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 20–25 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed.
7. Ladle the shorwa into bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon if desired, and serve hot with flatbread or steamed rice.