Grilled Lamb Steak in Spicy Herb Marinade and Tamil Lemon Rice
turn a chutney into a marinade for a mini feast
Last week on July 4, we sold our 10-year old Honda Accord to a handsome Latino couple. They planned on buying it for their son who’d been taking the bus to the local community college, a long trek from their home in Watsonville. They wanted to see the car early in the day because they had plans to attend a family gathering. After we finished the deal, she volunteered that their family celebrated with traditional American foods like hamburgers. They also decided to keep the new sedan for themselves and gift their son their old Honda Civic, which was hanging in there with 250K miles!
Later that afternoon, on our way home from the grocery store, we walked by a Latino household readying a kettle grill for what looked like hot dogs and hamburgers. A gaggle of older ladies had arrived speaking Spanish and carrying potluck dishes. We acknowledged one another with nods as we passed by.
I thought about economics, politics, and cultures — how they influence what we eat. With all the talk about immigration in the States, here were folks, many of whom were not likely born U.S. citizens, celebrating America’s birthday with traditional holiday foods. Maybe tamales, enchiladas, and or elote (grilled corn) also made appearances for a Mexican-American feast. That’s the kind of table I cheer for, and I’ve made my fair share of red-white-and-blue July 4 potato salads!
As for us this year, Rory and I were carrying home a thick lamb steak from the Staff of Life, a beloved local hippie health food market. That was on our July 4 grilling menu.
I had a plan — to use my stash of cilantro-mint chutney in our fridge to marinate the lamb. Lamb and mint sauce is a classic British pairing, but the strong meat-and-strong herb combo is enjoyed in the Middle East and elsewhere too. I’ve never been a fan of mint jelly and traditional mint sauce (mint soaked in vinegar with a touch of sugar). I’ve always wanted something zippier — like an Indian chutney or two.
Why do I favor Indian food now and then? Because it’s sophisticated and delicious. There has been an Indian community in Saigon for many years. In fact, Viet curry powder is based on Indian Madras curry powder. I’ll write more about the linkages in the future.
Back to the lamb steak.
Slapping the chutney on the lamb steak isn’t enough. I had to manipulate the chutney to function as marinade that could adhere and cook well quickly. Marinades often burn off during the grilling process and I wanted vestiges of the marinade to remain after cooking.
It’s incredibly easy and delicious. I type that often but I’m not B.S.ing you when I do. The cilantro-mint chutney is a ready-made seasoning that allows you to get ahead in your cooking. You just have to smartly tweak it.
With extra time on my hands, I crafted a Tamil-style lemon rice, inspired by recipes from some of my favorite South Asian cookbooks, including Indian Flavors Every Day by Maya Kaimal and Hoppers by Karan Gokani.
The lemon rice is vegan and loaded with sunny colors and bright flavors. It’s great at room temperature or slightly warm. In other words, take lemon rice on a picnic or to a potluck! I made mine with brown rice but you can go with white rice for a more conventional approach.
Below, expect the marinade, grilled lamb and rice recipes in full text and downloadable PDF plus a bunch of bonus cooking tips for you to create your own takes. We enjoyed the marinade so much that I used it to grill chicken and portobello mushrooms. These little recipes are hardworking and useful!