Lamb casserole with vegetables (Yiovetsi apo arni kai laganika)

The wonderful aromas and flavours of this dish take you straight to southeastern Europe…

750 g lamb or 1 kg lamb cutlets
2 large onions
100 ml oil, butter or lard
1 large carrot, cut in sticks
1 cup white beans, partially cooked
1 green and 1 red pepper, sliced
1 eggplant, cubed
¼ white cabbage, sliced
1 can peeled & chopped tomatoes
2 potatoes, cubed
½ cup rice
1 Tablespoon paprika, salt and pepper
meat or vegetable bouillon

Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and rub with salt and pepper. Fry the onions and garlic in the fat, add the meat and sprinkle on the paprika. On medium heat, stir-fry for about 5-10 minutes. Add the carrot, white beans, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, and the rice. Stir a few times to combine well, but do not over mix. Turn the mixture into a large oven dish and add warm bouillon to almost cover the meat and vegetables. Cover the dish and place in an oven at 150 °C for 1 to 1½ hours.
This dish may also be cooked on the stovetop in a heavy pan, for about 1 hour. Do not overcook; the vegetables should not become mashed.
There are many varieties of this dish: lamb can be replaced by pork or beef, other vegetables may be substituted and/or the rice replaced by other grains or pasta.
Enjoy this dish with a good glass of robust Greek red wine and good company— AND, think Europe!