Lamb is a meat that is distinguished by its original taste, which not all people like. In addition, it is rather oily, so the side dish to it should be chosen especially carefully. An ideal option is a dish that will tint the specific taste of meat. We will tell you more about what lamb is combined with. Side dishes and their recipes will be discussed in this article. It will focus not only on classic, but also on original Georgian dishes.
Which side dish is suitable for lamb?
Lamb is considered fatty meat, so it should be consumed exclusively in hot form. Accordingly, the side dish should also be served warm. The most popular among gourmets at the same time are classic dishes, which are distinguished by their simplicity of taste. For example, lamb can be served with potatoes, baked or stewed with other vegetables. And this meat is a favorite ingredient in oriental dishes, so rice will be the best side dish for it. At the same time, you can simply boil it and stew it with vegetables, or you can add spices to it. Buckwheat is also popular, which is not only tasty, but also a healthy dish.
When choosing a side dish for lamb, pay attention to vegetables. Since meat is considered very fatty, it is rather difficult to absorb it in the stomach and intestines. Vegetables also contain a lot of fiber, which helps to digest it faster. For example, lamb is often served with vegetable stew. Often, cooks prefer to cook meat with beans or corn.
Potatoes with vegetables: classic version
Potatoes are a versatile product that is most often used to prepare side dishes for stewed lamb. It can be served in any form: baked, boiled or fried. Sometimes lamb is served with mashed potatoes. The original recipe is considered meat, which is served along with fried potatoes, garlic and onions. To prepare the dish, you must prepare the following ingredients in advance:
- Fresh potatoes - its amount depends on the estimated number of servings.
- Vegetable oil - used for frying potatoes, if desired, you can also take melted or creamy.
- Onion - any of its types, for example, onion or leek, is suitable for cooking a dish. To decorate the side dish, you can also take a few green feathers.
- Garlic - it is best to take fresh, but in its absence, dried is also suitable.
- Salt and spices - they are added to taste.
In order to cook this side dish, you must first boil the required amount of potatoes in their skins. After that, you need to cool it, and then peel it. At the same time, you should not cool the potatoes by sending them under a stream of cold water, as this can make it harder. The tubers need to be cut into several slices, and then fry until golden brown in a pre-heated pan. Chop the onion in advance, and let the garlic pass through a special press. After that, they are added to the potatoes and fried for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
The right amount of salt and spices is added to the prepared dish, then laid out on the dishes and served with hot lamb.
Option for making a side dish of rice
Many gourmets believe that the best side dish for lamb is rice cooked with vegetables and spices. This is usually how this dish is served in Asian countries. To prepare a side dish of rice, prepare these products in advance:
- Rice - you can take any of its types, for example, steamed or round.
- Carrots - most often they use fresh carrots for cooking, but in their absence, dried ones are also suitable.
- Vegetable oil - it is necessary for frying carrots. You can also take cream.
- Salt, seasonings, green onions and dried berries of barberry - they are used to give the dish an original oriental taste and aroma. The amount of spices depends on your preference.
To prepare the dish, you first need to chop carrots and green onions. At the bottom of the pan you need to pour a little oil, on which for a couple of minutes you should fry the chopped vegetables along with barberry berries and spices. After that, hot water and rice are added to the resulting mixture. The pan is placed on a moderate fire and waiting for the water to evaporate. Then the finished dish is decorated with green onions. If desired, you can add to it such oriental spices as saffron or turmeric.
Vegetable stew
Ragout is not only tasty, but also a useful side dish for lamb, as vegetables contain fiber and contribute to the rapid digestion of meat. There are many options for preparing this dish. The original option will be baked stew.
Prepare the following products in advance:
- bell pepper - can be frozen, but preferably fresh;
- fresh tomatoes;
- eggplant and zucchini;
- white or red onions;
- red wine - it is best to take dry;
- vegetable oil;
- salt, black pepper, chives and seasonings.
To start, rinse all the vegetables, peel and chop them. To make the dish look beautiful, it is best to crumble them in identical pieces. It is recommended to lower the eggplants in salted water for ten minutes. After that, the baking tray is greased with oil and chopped vegetables are laid out on it. They are covered with foil on top and left in the oven for half an hour. After cooking, sprinkle the dish with herbs.
Buckwheat porridge for a hearty lunch with lamb
Buckwheat porridge is another common option for a side dish for mutton. As a rule, it is also cooked with spices and vegetables. For the dish you will need these products:
- buckwheat - its amount will depend on the number of servings;
- carrots - it is recommended to take fresh, but dried will do;
- canned green peas;
- green beans;
- Adyghe cheese - it is added at will;
- butter;
- salt, green onions and other seasonings to taste.
First you need to grate the carrots, and cheese - cut into small cubes. Then fry them in a pan, adding chopped beans and peas. Cooked vegetables are laid out in pots with previously boiled buckwheat. They are poured with water and baked in the oven for 15 minutes. Then served with hot lamb.
Baked Beans
If you want to cook a side dish for lamb in the oven, then the original recipe for baked beans is suitable for you . For the dish you need to purchase the following ingredients:
- Red beans;
- onion;
- some small tomatoes;
- vegetable oil to grease a baking dish;
- salt, black pepper and other spices, a bunch of parsley.
Pre-soak the beans overnight, so that it ceases to be hard. After that, they put it on a strong fire and cook until tender in salted water. Vegetables are cut and mixed with vegetable oil, salt and seasonings. Beans are laid on a baking sheet and poured with the mixture just prepared. And then left to bake. A dish is prepared from 30 to 40 minutes. At the end, you can sprinkle it with parsley on top or green onions.
Salad with nuts - a great addition to lamb
Lamb is a favorite dish of Georgian cuisine. There are many delicious recipes for cooking this meat and side dishes for it. The original dish may seem like a salad with nuts. To prepare a side dish for lamb, you will need:
- fresh cilantro - if it is not, then greens can be replaced with parsley;
- walnuts - also sometimes they take almonds or hazelnuts instead;
- salt.
Nuts need to be cleared of a bitter peel. To do this, they can be fried in a pan, but you do not need to add oil to it. Then the nuts are finely chopped and mixed with herbs and salt. This mixture must be crushed with a crush so that the greens produce juice. Then the finished salad is laid out on the table with lamb.
Baked Eggplant
If you are tired of classic recipes and don’t know which side dish to choose for mutton, then you can cook eggplant baked with cheese. For this original dish you should take the following products:
- Eggplant.
- Cheese - you can use any, including processed or cottage cheese.
- Fresh tomatoes - they are also sometimes replaced with canned vegetables or tomato paste.
- Vegetable oil.
- Salt, rosemary and other seasonings, fresh herbs (onions and parsley, to taste - basil or cilantro).
So that the eggplants are not bitter, they are soaked in salt water for half an hour before cooking. The eggplant pulp needs to be removed and chopped, and then mixed with chopped tomatoes and rosemary. This mixture is laid out in eggplant slices, and sprinkled with cheese on top. The resulting billet is laid out on a baking sheet, covered with foil on top and sent to the oven for 40 minutes. After cooking, sprinkle with herbs and served with hot lamb.
Lamb with corn
Corn is another original and simple version of a side dish for lamb. To prepare it, you need a few products:
- ears of corn;
- butter;
- fresh herbs: onions and several sprigs of cilantro;
- garlic, ground black pepper and salt, as well as other seasonings.
Peeled corn ears should be coated with a pre-prepared mixture of whipped butter, chopped garlic, ground pepper and salt. Then they are wrapped in foil and sent to the oven, where they bake for about 40 minutes. The dish is ready.
In this article, popular recipes for mutton side dishes with a photo were examined in detail. With their help, you can easily quickly prepare a dish, including a festive table.