Lamb cooked in yogurt sauce

What rescues this deliciously mild and velvety dish from blandness is the pungency of the garlic and the aromatic hit of the herbs. For a slightly thicker sauce, you could omit the stock.
- 1 heaped teaspoon soft butter
- a small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 500g plain yogurt (even better if you can find the thick, curdy yogurt freshly made daily in some Middle Eastern grocery stores)
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 2 teacups (about 200g) leftover lamb, fat and gristle removed, torn into good-sized pieces
- the white heads of 8 spring onions
- 210ml stock (optional – if you are after a thicker sauce, leave it out)
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
This recipe can be used as a basis for cooking other meat in yogurt, varying the taste by replacing the coriander with mint or basil. Indeed, you could make it entirely vegetarian by using a can of chickpeas or some cooked cauliflower florets or diced courgettes in place of the lamb.
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the coriander and garlic and sauté for a minute until the garlic is softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Put the yogurt in a heavy-based pan, add the whisked egg and mix well. Bring gently to the boil, stirring regularly to prevent curdling, then turn down the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, still stirring.
- Now add the meat to the yogurt sauce, along with the spring onions and the garlic and coriander mixture. Add the stock, if using. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Serve immediately, with vermicelli or rice.