Indian Lamb Stew, Yogurt-Marinated Cabbage, Cumin Basmati Rice

I'm heartbroken to say that I lost my dearest cousin, Jeff, to complications with his leukemia treatment two weeks ago. He was only 33 years old. Jeff and I were very close. He'd often jokingly say, "You're the perfect female version of myself. We're a bit narcissistic in our relationship that way. As long as you like yourself a little bit, you'll like me". I love him very much and I deeply miss him. These past two weeks have gone by ridiculously fast, and I'm still having a hard time accepting the permanence of him not being here.

So this year, I've decided to pay tribute to him in a combination of ways. As I gear up again to run the 2010 Nike Women's Half Marathon, I will join Team in Training for the first time with a few of my other cousins in tow. Our goal is to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and to donate the money in his memory. I know his presence will be with us on that day.

Aside from chatting with him online or catching up on the phone, we'd often have adventures with hiking, biking, and eating. One of his favorite Vancouver restaurants, was Vij's. So, my other tribute has been to cook my way through Vij's cookbook. And my first attempt was the Cinnamon-scented Lamb Stew, Yogurt-Marinated Cabbage, and Cumin Basmati Rice. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm allowed to post the recipes here. But, I can probably give the general idea of how it tastes.

Jeff was rightfully enamored with the rich depth of these flavors. Although, I probably altered the taste since I didn't use any ghee, and I only used non-fat plain yogurt. The combination of spices are strong enough to not need any help from ghee or heavy yogurt. I thought it was a fantastic meal worthy of Jeff's praise. And apparently, my friends agreed since they cleaned out my stockpot. Look Jeff, no leftovers! And leave it to me to make rich Indian food healthy.

For those who'd like to try out the recipes, this lamb stew and this cabbage recipe look close to Vij's. For the rice, just add cooked onions and whole cumin seed to the basmati rice while it's cooking. Stay tuned for Jeff's favorite Vij's dish: lamb popsicles.