Some of our favorite moments in the kitchen come by way of random inspiration. Sure, it’s nice when we plan a dish that we want to add to the blog and it comes out perfect – we definitely love sharing those with you. Then, there are those times when we see some meat in the freezer, thaw it out, but have absolutely no plan going in. Surely, we’ve referenced these marvelous “Eureka” moments in a post or two along the way. This one… well, it takes the cake (err… mushrooms). Prepare to never look at stuffed mushrooms the same way again as these Indian Lamb Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms are the real deal!
Inspiration Via Utilization
We work with a lot of fresh ingredients, as probably many of you do too. The endless challenge of households (and restaurants alike) that procure fresh produce, herbs, etc. is using up ingredients to avoid waste. Many times a little creativity – and random inspiration at times – will go a long way in not only using up the goods but turning them into a fantastic meal.
For this particular creation we had a pound of ground lamb in the freezer that had been staring at us for a couple of weeks. We thawed it out without a plan figuring we’d find a way to use it up. That was the exact scenario last time when we concocted this Moroccan Lamb Stew. We also had picked up some portabello mushroom caps at the store a couple days prior. Furthermore, we grow a variety of herbs which helps when that moment of inspiration hits. There is nothing worse than coming up with an idea and then realizing you are missing a key component that would take the dish up a notch (OK, maybe there are worse things but stay with us here).
A Quick Ode to Lamb and Indian Cuisine
Lamb is a staple in many cultures – a centerpiece for a variety of celebrations and feasts. You can read more about it in the link. You will see lamb as the star ingredient throughout the short history of Flavor Bible and likely in many future posts. It typically takes a back seat to other proteins in American culture but if you like big, bold flavor and a departure from the big 3 proteins then you should work it into your rotation to shake things up.
Lamb really lends itself incredibly well to the vibrance and fragrance of Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine is a Flavor Bible favorite. It checks all the boxes while it tantalizes the senses. So, let’s make some Indian Lamb Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms!
Preparation: Indian Lamb Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Here is what you’ll need on your path to flavor Nirvana:
Slice a large onion very thin (you’ll see two in the picture because ours were smaller). This will feel like A LOT of onion but it will cook down.
Next, grate the garlic and the ginger into a small prep bowl. Use a masher, fork, or the back end of a spoon to combine into a paste.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add in the onions, cook until onions start to take on color, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic/ginger paste, chili peppers, and mustard. Cook until onions start to take on a reddish brown color, stirring occasionally but a little more frequently now. (may have to deglaze pan). About 10 more minutes here.
Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala, stirring and until fragrant. Add in the lamb, mint, and turmeric and cook until just browned. Break apart the lamb with a large spoon while it cooks and stir occasionally.
Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes (with liquid). Allow liquid to reduce. Also, stir in half the cilantro. This is probably a good time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Stuff and Cook the Mushrooms
Fill the mushrooms with a hearty portion of the filling you just expertly made in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°, covered.
Remove foil or covering, sprinkle feta cheese on top. Cook uncovered for another 7 – 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to soften/melt. Remove from the oven, top with remaining cilantro for garnish and serve.
Note: If this post looks eerily similar to this one, it’s no coincidence. We made these in the same night with the same inspiration and the same filling. So, maybe we kind of mailed this one in but we liked that post and creating an entirely new write-up seemed unnecessary 😀
Equipment: Indian Lamb Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
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We’re going to show you a few items to have handy in the kitchen to not only make your life easier for this dish but are very multi-dimensional for use in countless other meals. For this, we used a hand zester or fine grater for the ginger garlic paste. We also used our trusty, do-everything All-Clad skillet. Finally, we used a simple roasting pan with a rack to finish the deal We think all of these belong in any kitchen. If you’re in the market, here are a few recommendations (affiliate links):
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Indian Lamb Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 Portabello Mushroom Caps
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 tsp Coarse Ground Mustard
- 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, undrained 14.5 oz. can
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 Green Chile Peppers, diced We used jalapenos here
- 1 Large Yellow Onion, thinly sliced We used 2 small to medium ones due to supplies on hand.
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- ½ cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
- ¼ cup Diced Red Onion
Instructions
- Peel and grate the ginger and garlic into a prep bowl. Use a masher, fork, or back end of a spoon to combine into a paste.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add in the onions, cook until onions start to take on color, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic/ginger paste, chili peppers, and mustard. Cook until onions start to take on a reddish brown color, stirring occasionally but a little more frequently now. (may have to deglaze pan). About 10 more minutes here.
- Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala, stirring and until fragrant. Add in the lamb, mint, and turmeric and cook until just browned.
- Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes (with liquid). Allow liquid to reduce. Stir in half the cilantro.
- Fill the mushrooms, with mixture, Bake for 30 minutes at 350°, covered. Remove foil or covering, sprinkle feta cheese on top. Cook uncovered for another 7 – 10 minutes or until cheese starts to soften/melt. Remove, top with remaining cilantro for garnish and serve.
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