LAMB (OR ANYTHING) CURRY (INDIA) Leftover lamb? Make a curry! That's one of our favorite uses when there's more lamb than we can eat at a sitting. You can really make it with any leftover meat or seafood -- in this case, a leg of lamb that I'd originally roasted with potatoes and onions "a la boulangere" -- enough for two, cut into 1-inch cubes. Slice 1 to 1 1/2 large onions vertically into thin slices; slice three or four cloves of garlic paper-thin; mince 1 jalapeno pepper (seeds and ribs removed) and peel and mince enough fresh ginger to make about 1/2 tablespoon. Prepare a curry mix of 1 tablespoon curry powder (ethnic Indian curry is MUCH better than the U.S. supermarket kind), 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon, and 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. In a heavy (iron) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil until it's almost sizzling. Sautee the sliced garlic, minced ginger and jalape¤o until they start to brown, then add the onions and stir-fry until they begin to soften. Add the cubed meat and stir until it's warmed through, then stir in the curry spice mix. Add 1/2 cup water, stir, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about five minutes. Serve with lots of steamed rice and a cooling green salad; my wife also ladles on dollops of plain yogurt to cool the fire, but she's a wuss ... I don't usually recommend wine with really fiery dishes, but the Beringer 1995 Nouveau Beaujolais, with its relatively low acidity to exacerbate the burn, went surprisingly well, its fruitiness working sort of like a chutney to add dimension to the curry.
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