Photos on Fine Fettle Kettle are originals taken by Miriam Latour and under copyright protection.
Recipes are the creation of Miriam Latour, unless otherwise indicated.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Navajo Fry Bread with Ground Lamb



For a short time as a kid, I had a foster sister who grew up on the Navajo reservation in Utah. She taught us to make fry bread. When she made it, she grabbed the ingredients with her hands and didn't measure precisely, so I've had to make guesses at the measurements for this blog. The Navajo raise sheep and eat a lot of lamb in their dishes.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tblsp powdered milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup water

Sift the dry ingredients and combine with the water until they form a sticky dough. You don't need to knead the dough. Dump onto a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece and fry in hot canola oil until bubbly and brown.



For the filling (and I apologize that this is even more imprecise than the dough):

1 lb chipped or ground lamb
5 cloves crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
1 cup pre-cooked black beans
2 tsp cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt & Pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
(All seasonings can be added to taste. Traditional Navajo cooking generally uses just the onion and garlic with salt and pepper.)

Top with lettuce, more fresh cilantro, tomatoes, cheese, etc.


If you are a vegetarian, you can try fry bread with smashed, cooked beans seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices.

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