Here is the recipe for Amritisari Masala Lamb Chops that I promised you.

My home town is Amritsar in the Northern region of Punjab, India.  The spice rub I use on the lamb chops is from Amritsar.  It is the same spice rub that I used for the Amritsari Masala Fish with the addition of cinnamon and dried mint.  Cinnamon brings warmth and extra depth of flavor to the meat, and mint is a classic match to lamb.  We don’t use cinnamon for  the fish because it will overpower the delicate fish.

I don’t eat meat because I was raised a vegetarian and am not used to eating it.  Most Indian people are vegetarians.  I personally don’t like the taste of meat.  If I accidentally eat something made with a poultry or meat broth, I get a very upset GI tract.

My mom was a vegetarian, but my dad eats meat.  I learned how to make meat dishes for my dad.  My husband needs meat in his diet or he doesn’t do well physically, so I also make meat dishes for him and my meat eating Texas friends.  I never taste the meat dishes, but somehow I am able to make them.  My guests always compliment me on them.  I feel like the rat in the movie, “Ratatouille”, I can imagine the flavors in my head.

We live in a ranch community in Texas, so we are lucky enough to have access to the best quality meat that is organic, hormone free and grass fed.  We have neighboring ranchers who supply beef and pork.  My husband raises his own chickens, ducks, their eggs and he goes on fishing expeditions to catch fish for me.  We try to stay as close to Mother Nature as possible.

For this recipe my husband brought home Natural Lamb from our local HEB market.

INGREDIENTS:

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• 1 pound of lamb chops
• Enough Indian Spice Mix to coat the lamb chops.  If you prepare 1/2 a cup of spice mix you should have plenty.
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp of dried mint leaves
• 1 Tbsp of grape seed oil to coat the lamb chops and 1 Tbsp to coat the non-stick skillet.
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

PREPPING THE LAMB CHOPS:

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• Remove the lamb chops from their package and pat them dry
• Crush the dried mint leaves between the palms of your hands, and add them to the Indian Spice Mix along with the cinnamon.
• Mix the spices to form the spice rub
• Sprinkle the spice rub, salt and pepper over the lamb chops
• Drizzle with grape seed oil
• Rub the spices and oil into the lamb chops
• Flip the lamb chops, and season the second side with the spice rub and oil
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour

The seasoned lamb chops can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.  The spices prevent the meat from going bad.  This is a good way to prep protein ahead of meal time.

COOKING THE LAMB CHOPS:

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• Coat a large non stick skillet with a Tbsp of grape seed oil
• Turn the flame to medium-high and let the oil get hot.  When the oil is ready it will shimmer.
• Placed the spiced lamb chops in the pan.  You should hear a sizzle.
• Leave the lamb alone to let the spicy crust form.  This should take about 3 minutes. When the crust is ready the lamb will release itself, making it easy to flip without sticking.
• Cook on the second side to get the meat to your desired internal temperature.  Some people like it medium rare, some medium and I know most Indian people like it well done.  Choose what you prefer.
• Transfer the cooked lamb chops to a platter.  Cover loosely with foil.  Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.  The resting period allows the juices to stay in the meat when you cut into it, thus keeping it moist.

You can serve these lamb chops with you favorite side dish.  Here I served it with Mustard Green Saag Paneer.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Please give me your feed back in the comments section.

Next Saturday, I will post Amritsari Masala Pork Chops, the pork version of this recipe.  It will be similar but the spices will be tweaked to match the flavor of the pork.

Stay tuned.  I really appreciate your support and interest. 😊 Bye for now. 🖐