recipe-1

Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Irish stew

All over Ireland, Ireland

Irish stew

Lamb (traditionally mutton), onions and potatoes simmered slowly with thyme: few ingredients, long cooking.

Irish stew
Close to the base recipe Mild

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Irish stew. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Irish stew

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 1 kg Lamb neck or shoulder on the bone.

From the base recipe

  • 3 Onions
  • Green chillies not used
  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • Turmeric not used
  • 1 tsp · 1 l Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Irish stew

  • 1 kg Potatoes
  • 3 Carrots
  • 3 sprigs Thyme
  • 1 handful Parsley
  • optional Stock (optional)

Leave out

  • Green chillies
  • Chilli powder
  • Turmeric
  • Whole spices
  • Garam masala

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Irish stew: do thisSlice the onions thickly; skip the chillies.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Irish stew: do thisBrown the lamb in a little oil, then soften the onions.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Irish stew: do thisCut the potatoes and carrots.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Irish stew: do thisReturn the lamb.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Irish stew: do thisAdd thyme and black pepper instead of chilli and turmeric.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Irish stew: do thisAdd water or stock to cover.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Irish stew: do thisSimmer 1½ hours, adding the vegetables for the last 45 minutes. Some potatoes break down and thicken it. Finish with parsley.

Serve: On its own, with soda bread.

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

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Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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