Kavurma — Turkish Knife-Cut Lamb with homemade tomato paste

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade tomato paste ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Wash the tomatoes, remove the cores and quarter each tomato.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 2
   Put the tomatoes, the salt and half of the olive oil in a wide pot, cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their liquid.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
3. 3
   Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill or sieve and return the purée to the pot: the skins and seeds stay behind.

   Food millorFine sieve
4. 4
   Cook uncovered about an hour at a lively simmer, stirring now and then, until the purée reduces by half.

   StoveWooden spoon

   💡The paste burns easily as it dries: stir and scrape the bottom and edges, and once it is thick, don't walk away.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
6. 6
   Grease a wide baking dish with the rest of the olive oil and pour in the purée in a thin layer. Dry in the oven about 3 hours, stirring and scraping the edges every 30 minutes, until the paste is thick, sticky and brick red.

   OvenBaking sheetSilicone spatula
7. 7
   Let the paste cool.

   Jar

For the Shawarma

1. 8
   Mix the slices of the lamb with the olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, salt and black pepper and let sit 60 minutes.

   Bowl
2. 9
   Heat a cast-iron, heavy pan over high heat.

   StoveCast-iron pan
3. 10
   Add the slices of the lamb in a single layer and fry 2–3 minutes per side, until the lamb is golden and cooked through.

   Stove
4. 11
   Add the onion and sauté until softened.

   Stove
5. 12
   Add the tomato paste and the water, cover and cook 10 minutes.

   Stove
6. 13
   Serve immediately with pita, lettuce and tahini sauce.