Syrian Lamb and Vegetable Stew

Heat the ghee in a large cooking vessel over medium-high heat and introduce the lamb meat into the pot. Cook and stir constantly until the meat is uniformly browned. Add a blend of spices, including allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom, to the pot and mix thoroughly.

Next, create a layer of sliced onions on top of the lamb in the pot, but do not disturb the mixture. Continue adding layers of sliced potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in an alternating pattern until all the vegetables have been used up. Finish with a layer of sliced tomatoes on top and place a chile pepper in the center.

Season the stew with salt to taste. To enhance the flavor, mix a concentrated paste of tomatoes with water in a separate container and pour it over the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.

Using a traditional mortar and pestle, combine crushed garlic with a pinch of salt and dried mint. Mix this blend with 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the pot, then drop spoonfuls of it over the vegetables in the pot. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Carefully transfer the stew to a wide serving dish or bowl by gently tilting the pot and allowing it to slide out into the serving dish, maintaining its layered structure. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of ghee over the top of the stew.