Zubereitung

1. 1

   Pat the lamb dry, trim off any thick fat and cut into cubes of about 2.5 cm. Peel and finely dice the onions; peel and finely chop the garlic.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot and brown the lamb well on all sides, in two batches if space is tight.

3. 3

   Add the onions and fry, stirring, until soft and golden.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and turmeric and toast, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the hot water, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Braise covered over a low heat until the lamb is almost tender.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin, halve it and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut Hokkaido with the skin on, or butternut squash peeled, into cubes of about 3 cm.

7. 7

   Add the pumpkin cubes to the pot, stir them in and continue braising, covered, until they are soft and the lamb is tender and cooked through.

8. 8

   Stir in the pomegranate molasses and let the stew reduce uncovered until thick, stirring occasionally; some of the pumpkin will break down and thicken the sauce.

9. 9

   Season with salt, pepper and a little more pomegranate molasses to taste and serve hot.

10. 10

    Tip: White rice belongs with it, for example Birinc bi şehriye — White Rice with Toasted Vermicelli. Instead of lamb you can use beef shoulder, which braises for about 20 minutes longer, and instead of pomegranate molasses a squeeze of lemon. The stew is easy to make ahead and can be frozen for up to three months; leftover rice, on the other hand, should be cooled quickly, put in the fridge within two hours at the latest and used up within a day.