Caribbean lamb and sweet potato peanut stew served with white rice

A few years ago, during a visit to an Arab home in the Sultanate of Oman this writer recalls being served a traditional Middle Eastern meal. On the table was a large spread, which included chicken samosas, mutton kebabs, khubz (roti), saffron pulao and lamb tagine. It was, however, the gravied-lamb dish that piqued our taste buds. Rich in flavour and spices, we would be lying if we said that it didn't remind us of home. My hosts were, however, quick to correct me: The gravy was typical Arab fare, slow-cooked in an earthen pot so that the juices of the meat mixed with the spices and tomato puree to create a broth, which Indians would have described as curry.