Mela {South End, Boston}

Photo credit: DestinationsPerfected.com

As much as we love the old school vibe and Italian offerings of our North End neighborhood, Chuck and I are beginning to miss the variety and constantly changing restaurant scene we were had in our neighborhood in DC. Last night we had a hankering for Indian food and after about 10 minutes of research settled on Mela in the South End.

We haven't explored the South End and had the same thought upon arrival: this looks like Logan Circle. Plenty of new restaurants dotting wide streets, offering many different types of cuisine. Mela, part of One World Restaurants (including Kashmir and Diva), is located in the middle of the main drag and is rather small in size with with a hip vibe. There were quite a few groups waiting in the entryway (who seemed to have reservations) so we thought it might be awhile, but by some miracle we were seated immediately. First impressions, woohoo!

The menu is standard for an Indian restaurant. If you are on a date and in an eating mood, we recommend going with the non-vegetarian dinner for two. For $45 total (not per person), each guest is served a bowl of mulligatawny soup and meat samosas to start. We were allowed to pick two entrees and went for the traditional lamb vindaloo and butter chicken. Our entrees were served with basmati rice, naan, and an assortment of tandoori meats. Still hungry? We each got to pick a dessert. The food was excellent and for the price of the dinner for two, we couldn't have been happier with the meal.

Indian Spice Lamb with Mango Salsa

Indian Spice Lamb with Mango Salsa

Yes folks, it's time for another Lamb Jam. We were challenged with developing our own recipe featuring lamb and other healthy ingredients. The catch: our recipe had to contain 10 ingredients or less (including lamb, but not including salt & pepper).

With a bit of tweaking and taste testing, we came up with what we think is a winning recipe. Not only does it abide by the rules, but both the meat and salsa are incredibly flavorful. This dish would be perfect served with brown jasmine rice or whole grain naan.


Lamb with Mango Salsa 
Serves 8-12

Prep time: 25-30 minutes (excluding marinade time) 
Cook time: 10-20 minutes (depending on how you like your lamb cooked) 
Required cooking utensils: Sauté pan, Ziploc bag (to marinate the lamb), bowl for the salsa, chef’s knife, and spatula 

Ingredients 
Lamb 
36 oz leg of lamb
8 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons green chile pepper, diced (with seeds for extra heat)
6 teaspoons ground coriander
6 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mango Salsa 
4 mangoes, diced
1 cup red onion, diced
4 green chile pepper, diced (with seeds for extra heat)
1/2 teaspoon salt Juice from 2 limes

Directions 
1. Cut the leg of lamb into more manageable pieces (we suggest 8"length x 3"width x 1 1/2" height).

2. Mix all garlic, chile pepper, coriander, cumin, ginger, salt, olive oil, and lamb. If possible, marinate in the fridge overnight. If you are short on time, 15 minutes of marinating time is sufficient.

3. While the lamb is marinating, prepare your salsa. Mix mango, onion, chile pepper, salt, and lamb. Allow to marinate in the fridge or serve immediately.

4. Heat skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. For medium-rare (internal cooking temperature of approximately 135 degrees), cook lamb on the skillet for approximately 10 minutes, turning 5 minutes into cooking time. If you prefer your lamb medium or medium-well, increase the cooking time. Allow meat to rest for 8 minutes. Slice thinly and garnish with mango salsa.

If you prefer, you can also grill the meat and slice it, or serve it as kebabs.

Looking for a refreshing treat that only requires ONE more ingredient? Look no further than our mango popsicles (recipe below).

Mango Popsicles
Makes 6 popsicles

2 mangoes
1 lime, juiced
A little less than a 1/3 cup of sugar
3/4 cups water

1. Slice the skin off the mangos, remove the pit, and puree the flesh of the mangoes in a food processor.

2. Dissolve sugar in water (this works best when the water is over low heat).

3. Mix pureed mango, sugar water, and lime juice. Pour in a popsicle mold and store in a freezer overnight.