Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.

I have three specific requirements for meals during the colder months: they must be comforting and hearty, packed with flavor, and have a good variety of ingredients. When you have a busy week and all you want is a Netflix sesh and early bedtime, it’s all too easy to dig out the slow cooker and make the same classic beef stew recipe time and time again. But you know just as well as I do, this gets old fast.

With that said, this spicy lamb stew is a flavorful, Asian-inspired twist on a comforting classic, and I can guarantee it will occupy a permanent place in your winter meal rotation.

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.
Made with melt-in-your-mouth tender lamb meat, Asian sauces, and aromatics such as Thai chilis, ginger, a few cloves of garlic, and star anise, this recipe is full of satisfying, authentic flavor that will warm you up from the inside out.

If you’ve ever made a traditional Irish lamb stew, then you know the recipe is usually quite simple, using only potatoes and large onions (and served with a Guinness on the side, especially if it’s St. Patrick’s day ;)).

This lamb stew recipe swaps out those ingredients for green onion (as a garnish) and daikon, a white root vegetable known as a “winter radish,” commonly used in Asian cuisine. If you haven’t had daikon before, it looks like a ridiculously oversized white carrot. Daikon is crisp and slightly sweet, which allows it to pair beautifully with stews, stir-fries, and winter salads.

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.
This lamb stew recipe also packs in a good variety of vitamins, minerals, protein, and dietary fiber, especially if you decide to serve it over some brown rice or quinoa. If you use chicken bone broth in this recipe instead of regular chicken stock or broth, you’ll also receive a boost of collagen—a beneficial protein found in bones that promotes gut, skin, and joint health. Beef stock or beef broth also works for this recipe.

Here you have it—one of my favorite lamb recipes. (If you like this one, I think you’ll also enjoy this Moroccan-style lamb shank recipe, this cumin lamb stirfry, and these grilled lamb kabobs as well.)

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.

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Spicy Lamb Stew with Daikon

Spicy Lamb Stew with Daikon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 1 review
  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Meat, Main Course, Stew
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Chinese
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Description

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds lamb stew meat or boneless lamb leg, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 Thai chilis, sliced
  • 1/2 ounce fresh ginger root, sliced
  • 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or sherry
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 cup chicken bone broth or regular chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 12 ounces daikon, peeled and cubed
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Chopped green onion for garnishing

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, cover lamb with water and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to clean. Set aside.
  2. Rinse the same saucepan and whip it dry completely or use a large Dutch oven. Heat olive oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes; add garlic, chili, and ginger. Saute for a minute or until fragrant.
  3. Add lamb into the Dutch oven; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add Shaoxing wine or sherry, followed by dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, chicken bone broth, brown sugar, and ground cumin. Drop star anise into the pan and switch to high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, simmer for 1½ hours.
  5. 45 minutes before cooking is finished, add daikon to the lamb stew, stir to coat with the sauce, and continue simmering until done.
  6. Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup cold water and stir into the lamb stew. Once the stew is thickened, turn off the heat.
  7. Garnish with green onion and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes

If you are not a fan of daikon, you can substitute carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables.

Winter comfort food done right: This spicy, Asian-inspired lamb stew is flavored with Asian sauces, Thai chilis, star anise to warm you up from the inside.

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen
Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.