- 500g butterflied lamb shoulder
- 2 red onions
- 3 carrots
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- A thumb of ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 heaped tbsp ras al hanut
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 300g bulgar wheat
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 300-800ml + 600ml water
- 1.
Warm a large frying pan (or deep pan or casserole dish if you’re cooking it on the hob) over a medium heat. Add ½ tbsp olive oil and the lamb. Fry for 10 mins, turning every so often, till browned all over.
- 2.
While the lamb fries, peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel the carrots and chop into 2cm-thick slices diagonals. From this point on, either follow the method for the slow cooker or the hob.
- 3.
In the slow cooker^ Add the chopped veg to a 3½ ltr slow cooker, then lift the lamb out of the frying pan and add it. Peel and slice the ginger into matchsticks. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Add them to the slow cooker.
- 4.
Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes and drop in the cinnamon stick. Add 1 heaped tbsp ras al hanut and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (save the rest for later). Pour in 300ml water. Season with salt and pepper. Pop on the lid, set the slow cooker to medium and cook the lamb shawarma for 6 hrs. Or set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hrs, or try 8 hrs set to low.
- 5.
When the lamb has 30 mins left to cook, prepare the bulgar wheat. Tip it into a heatproof bowl with a good pinch of salt. Pour over 600ml boiling water. Cover with a plate and leave to soak and absorb the water till tender.
- 6.
Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stalks and set to one side.
- 7.
When the lamb is tender, pick out the cinnamon stick and stir in the final 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Carefully lift the lamb out of the slow cooker using tongs and pop on a board. Using a couple of forks, pull the lamb into chunky shreds. Add it back to the slow cooker and stir together gently.
- 8.
Taste the lamb and add salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Stir the parsley through the bulgar and divide between 4 warm bowls. Top with the shawarma spiced lamb and serve.
- 9.
On the hob^ Lift the lamb out of the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the chopped veg to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 5-6 mins, stirring now and then till the veg are browned.
- 10.
While the veg fry, peel and slice the ginger into matchsticks. Peel and finely slice the garlic. When the veg have browned, stir the ginger and garlic into them. Cook and stir for 1 min.
- 11.
Return the lamb to the pan and tip in the tin of chopped tomatoes. Drop in the cinnamon stick. Add the ras al hanut and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (save the rest for later). Pour in 800ml water. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pop on the lid and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and gently simmer for 2 hrs.
- 12.
When the lamb has 30 mins left to cook, prepare the bulgar wheat. Tip it into a heatproof bowl with a good pinch of salt. Pour over 600ml boiling water. Cover with a plate and leave to soak.
- 13.
Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stalks and set to one side.
- 14.
When the lamb is tender, pick out the cinnamon stick and stir in the final 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Carefully lift the lamb out of the pan using tongs and pop on a board. Using a couple of forks, pull the lamb into chunky shreds. Add it back to the pan and stir together gently.
- 15.
Taste the lamb and add a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Stir the parsley through the bulgar and divide in between 4 warm bowls. Top with the shawarma spiced lamb and serve.
