Non-vintage Lamb Curry and WIN a Slow Cooker

What are the ages of ‘vintage’ and ‘antique’ items? I used to think that Antique was anything over 200 years old, Vintage was more than 100 years old, and anything less was just ‘second-hand’.

Then, Vintage got upgraded, you know, like when a lairy knit jumper from the Eighties is described as ‘vintage’ in those supercilious street-style photographs, as in “Darya wears a Yohji Yamamoto gilet, vintage sweater from a Paris flea market, Ksubi jeans, Chanel booties and her mother’s scarf”. Oh, how unbearably chic!

Well, in that case, my mother has a vintage slow cooker. I think it’s from the 1970s, and it’s hot orange in colour with a neat brown floral/leaf pattern around the base with ‘Crockpot’ written in a funky, hippy font. It is the coolest thing ever, although it used to be considered daggy. I suppose that’s when something becomes Vintage – when it turns the corner from eye-rollingly kitsch (but useful) to nostalgically coveted.

By the way, I have a NEW slow cooker and made this wonderful Lamb Curry in it. And you could have a NEW slow cooker, too. Just salivate over this recipe and enter the giveaway below.

Lamb Curry

serves 4

Ingredients

3 tblsp plain flour

500g diced lean lamb

2 tblsp oil

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 2cm chunks

1 brown onion, sliced

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ cup Indian curry paste (Korma for mild, Madras for hot)

270ml reduced-fat coconut cream

1 tsp vegetable stock powder or paste

1 bay leaf 

chives or coriander, to serve

Method

1. Put the lamb in a plastic bag and add the flour and some salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake until the lamb is coated with the flour.

2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frypan and add the lamb. Cook in batches until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer lamb to a 3.5 litre slow cooker.

3. Add sweet potato, onion, garlic, ginger and cumin to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is soft (the sweet potato will still be uncooked). Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add coconut milk, stock powder and ¾ cup of cold water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the slow cooker with the lamb. Add bay leaf.

5. Cook, covered on Low heat for 6 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving with a sprinkle of chives and rice or naan bread.

recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas

Ingredients, including ginger and garlic, Korma curry paste, onion, sweet potato, light coconut cream, bay leaf, cumin; coat the lamb pieces in seasoned flour and brown in a pan before adding the other ingredients.

After 6 hours, the lamb incredibly tender. Liquid does not evaporate from a lidded slow cooker like it does in a pan on the stove, so there is lots of sauce left in the pot.  You should also make sure that the slow cooker is filled half to three-quarters full for best results, with liquid covering most of the lamb and potato.

Serve the curry with naan bread and accompaniments like yoghurt and pappadums.

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Fantastic Giveaway from Kitchenware Direct

Thanks to Brad from Kitchenware Direct for allowing me to review this Morphy Richards Accents Slow Cooker.

I was really excited about this product because I wanted to have hot, ready-prepared meals to come home to (and I am too cheap to get takeaway). This slow cooker does not disappoint. It is a compact size (3.5 litres) that is perfect for 2-4 people and it doesn’t take up too much bench space. The burgundy ceramic pot is removable for serving and easy cleaning, it works like a dream and the instruction manual is mercifully to-the-point with useful essential tips (I always read the manual before operating appliances, and you should, too).

And Kitchenware Direct are also offering one of these fantastic slow cookers to a lucky Ooh, Look… reader (sorry, Australian entrants only). Just leave a comment on this post with the magic words ‘Please, Miss, I want a slow cooker’. Terms and conditions and closing date are below. Good luck!

Conditions of Entry

1. Entry to this contest is by a comment on this post containing the words “Please, Miss, I want a slow cooker”. Alternatively, enter by sending an email to oohlookbel2000 [at] gmail [dot] com

2. Entries close at midnight 10 June 2012.

3. Winner will be randomly selected

4. The prize can only be delivered to Australian addresses. Prize will be supplied and delivered by Kitchenware Direct.

5. Please include an email address or your blog URL in your entry so I can contact you if you win.

------ UPDATE ------ 

Thanks to everyone who entered this competition.

A winner has been selected:


Congratulations to Reemski.  I will email you.
Hope you enjoy the slow cooker from kitchenwaredirect.com.au.