Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Half a lamb loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• Olive oil, for coating the pan
• Roasted Vegetable Stew, recipe follows
• Frizzled Brussels, recipe follows
• 1/2 eggplant (the bottom half), partially peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Crushed red pepper
• 1/4 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 bulb fennel, cut into julienne strips
• 4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• Half a 15.5-ounce can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock, or more as necessary
• 2 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground asafetida
• 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
• Pinch Indian Spice Blend, see above
• 2 to 4 Brussels sprouts, separated into leaves
• Olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Small pinch nigella seeds

Instructions

1. Special equipment: a spice grinder; skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes if wood or bamboo
2. Preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and mustard seeds to a spice grinder and pulse to a powder; transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the salt. Reserve a pinch for the vegetable stew.
4. Toss the lamb with the remaining spice mixture to coat, then thread onto skewers. Coat the pan with olive oil. Sear the skewers on all sides until the lamb is cooked to the desired doneness. Remove from the heat and serve with Roasted Vegetable Stew and Frizzled Brussels.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Add the eggplant to a large bowl and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Put the cauliflower in the bowl and coat with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Place the cauliflower next to the eggplant on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast until the vegetables begin to brown, rotating once, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and cook until translucent. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and stir gently to combine. Add the vegetable stock, curry leaves, asafetida, nigella seeds and Indian spice blend. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt to taste. Add all of the roasted vegetables to the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. If the stew gets dry, add vegetable stock as needed.
9. Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Toss the Brussels-sprout leaves in oil to coat and sprinkle with salt to taste. When the pan is hot, add the leaves and cook until beginning to brown and shrivel slightly. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with nigella seeds.