I made this soup tonight, because it has been really cold out lately (even for Florida), and I wanted something warm and spicy. This soup really hit the spot. Below, I have the recipe as written, but I will say now that I did not have cayenne pepper on hand, so I subbed some creole seasoning. Also, I could not find cumin seeds in my local grocery store, so I ground the poppy seeds with the coriander seeds in an electric grinder and mixed in ground cumin and turmeric. I upped the cumin because I felt that it needed more. Also, I did not have any lamb stock on hand, there was none prepared at my grocery store, and I didn’t have time to make any, so I subbed 3 cups of beef stock and 2 cups of chicken stock for the lamb stock. The recipe also called for coconut flakes and cilantro as a garnish, but this was just a simple meal for my boyfriend and myself, so I did not feel like spending the money on garnish. Thus, the photo and presentation are on the simple side. Either way, the soup was quite tasty, and I highly recommend it with some store bought (or homemade if you know how) nan for dipping!

Ingredients:

2 onions, roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons black poppy seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound boneless lamb chump chops, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups lamb stock
generous 1/3 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons coconut milk
salt and ground black pepper
fresh cilantro sprigs and toasted flaked coconut, to garnish

Directions:

1. Process the onions, garlic, ginger and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a food processor or blender until a paste is reached. Set aside.
2. Heat a small pan over low and toast the poppy, cumin, and coriander seeds until they begin to release their aroma.
3. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and grind them to a powder. Stir in the turmeric and set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot. Fry the lamb over a medium-high heat until browned all over, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the lamb and set aside.
5. To the pot, add the onion paste and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring continually.
6. Then stir in the spice mix and cook for another minute.
7. Return the meat to the pan with any juices that have seeped out while it has been standing. Add the cayenne, stock and seasoning.
8. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 30 - 35 minutes or until the lamb is sufficiently tender.
9. Stir in the rice, then recover and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
10. Add the lemon juice and coconut milk and simmer for an additional two minutes.
11. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro and coconut flake. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

(via The Ultimate Soup Bible)