Uzbek Dimlama (Dimlama) — Layered Lamb and Vegetable Stew

• 900 glamb shoulder (cut into 5 cm chunks, with some fat left on)
• 80 glamb tail fat or lamb fat trimmings (optional but traditional for richness)
• 30 mlsunflower oil
• 3large onions (sliced into 1 cm half-moons)
• 450 gcarrots (cut into thick diagonal slices)
• 800 gwaxy potatoes (peeled and halved if small, quartered if large)
• 500 gripe tomatoes (cut into thick rounds)
• 2red bell peppers (seeded and cut into wide strips)
• 1green bell pepper (seeded and cut into wide strips)
• 700 ggreen cabbage (outer leaves kept whole, remaining cabbage cut into wedges)
• 1 headgarlic (top trimmed to expose the cloves)
• 8 sprigfresh cilantro
• 6 sprigfresh dill
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1.5 tspwhole coriander seeds (lightly crushed)
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 12 gfine sea salt
• 120 mlwater (use only if tomatoes are not very juicy)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare all vegetables before heating the pot, because dimlama is built quickly in layers and should not be stirred once assembled. Keep the cabbage’s largest outer leaves intact, as they will form a lid under the pot cover and help trap steam.

2. 2

   Put the lamb in a bowl and season it with 5 g of the salt, 1 tsp of the cumin, 0.5 tsp of the black pepper, and 1 tsp of the paprika. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a spoon so the meat is evenly coated, then let it stand for 15 minutes while the sliced vegetables release a little moisture.

3. 3

   Set a kazan, Dutch oven, or heavy lidded casserole over medium heat and add the lamb fat and sunflower oil. When the fat begins to render and shimmer, spread half of the onions across the base, then arrange the seasoned lamb over them in an even layer.

4. 4

   Layer the carrots over the lamb, followed by the potatoes, remaining onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Sprinkle each broad vegetable layer with a small share of the remaining salt, cumin, coriander seeds, paprika, and black pepper so the seasoning is distributed from top to bottom.

5. 5

   Place the trimmed head of garlic in the center, tuck in the bay leaves, cilantro, and dill, then cover everything with the cabbage wedges. Lay the reserved whole cabbage leaves over the top like a blanket, add 120 ml water only if the tomatoes are dry, and press the lid on tightly.

6. 6

   Increase the heat to medium-high for 8 minutes, just until you hear active bubbling and see steam escaping from the lid. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 80 minutes without stirring, because the Uzbek dimlama technique depends on gentle steaming and self-basting layers.

7. 7

   Turn off the heat and let the covered pot rest for 10 minutes so the juices settle and the potatoes finish absorbing the broth. Remove the cabbage-leaf cap, lift portions carefully from top to bottom, and serve with hot non or lepyoshka for soaking up the lamb and vegetable juices.