1teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼cup all-purpose flour
1lb boneless lamb or beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
3large cloves garlic, minced
3cups chicken broth
1small butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
114-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Combine the spices and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup flour and 1.5 Tbsp of the spice mixture, add the lamb and coat well. Heat 3 tsp of oil in a large pot over medium high. Add lamb a few pieces at a time; don’t overcrowd. Turn the pieces until lamb is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add a teaspoon of oil as needed between batches.
Remove the lamb and set aside. Add oil and onion to the pot. Cook until soft, then stir in tomato paste and garlic. Stir in remaining spices. Stir in the lamb. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, about 45 min – 1 hour. Stir in the squash and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
Make a slurry with 1.5T cornstarch and stir in. Stir the chickpeas and cornstarch slurry into the stew and cook until the broth thickens, about 2-4 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.