This hearty winter stew comes from the Jewish community of Bukhara in what is now Uzbekistan. I got the recipe from Gil Marks’ The World of Jewish Cooking and modified it to bring out the flavors better.

2 -2 ½ pounds lamb shoulder, (Loin chops also work well, they're easier to separate. But shoulder is good stew meat.)  with bones, fat and meat all separated and the meat chopped into chunks
2 medium onions, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped fine
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 carrots, peeled an chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 daikon radish or several regular radishes, peeled and chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
½ cup cooked chickpeas (You can use uncooked, but they may come out a little crunchy depending on your cooking time.)
2 quarts beef broth
6-12 oz. whole wheat pasta (Depending on how much you want, this recipe makes a large amount. Be sure you have a big enough pot.)

Heat the lamb fat in a large pot over medium heat until brown and crispy. Remove fat and add a little vegetable oil if the bottom of the pan is not covered. (You may want to deglaze the pan after removing fat. I find a little beer doesn't hurt either the recipe or the chef.) Add lamb meat and cook until brown on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent (5-10 minutes). Add garlic and spices and cook for two minutes. Add meat, vegetables, chickpeas and broth. Place the larger lamb bones in the pot as well, but only the big ones, because you will want to fish them out later. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for two hours.(A little longer doesn't hurt either.) 15-20 minutes before serving add noodles and check to make sure they’re done. Remove lamb bones and serve.