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Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Seco de cordero

Northern coast of Peru, Peru

Seco de cordero

Peruvian lamb (or goat, or beef) stewed in a bright green sauce of coriander, ají amarillo and beer.

Seco de cordero
Close to the base recipe Medium

Too hot for you? Use half the chilli (powder, paste or fresh chillies) and leave out the green chillies.

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 Seco de cordero. 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 Seco de cordero

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 or goat in pieces.

From the base recipe

  • 2 Onions
  • Green chillies not used
  • 3 tbsp Cooking oil
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • Turmeric not used
  • 1 tsp · 200 ml Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Seco de cordero

  • 2 handful Fresh coriander, blended (lots)
  • 2 tbsp Ají amarillo paste
  • 5 Garlic
  • 330 ml Beer or chicha de jora
  • 150 g · 500 g Peas and potatoes

Leave out

  • 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.

    Seco de cordero: do thisChop the onions; use ají amarillo instead of green chillies.

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

    Seco de cordero: do thisFry with garlic and the ají paste.

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

    Seco de cordero: do thisCut the potatoes.

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

    Seco de cordero: do thisBrown the meat, then add the blended coriander.

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

    Seco de cordero: do thisAdd cumin and black pepper instead of chilli powder and turmeric.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Seco de cordero: do thisAdd beer and a little water.

  8. Add salt.

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

    Seco de cordero: do thisSimmer 1½ hours; add potatoes and peas for the last 25 minutes.

Serve: With rice and beans (frijoles).

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

← Pollo guisadoAll curries on the mapSudado de pollo →

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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