North Indian Lamb Curry
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
Nothing beats a hearty lamb curry and this recipe is just the one to try! Generous, rich and layered North Indian flavours.
Ingredients
Dry Spice Mix
4 tsp (20 ml) whole cumin
4 tsp (20 ml) whole coriander
4 tsp (20 ml) fennel seeds
4 tsp (20 ml) fenugreek
5 star anise pods
10 cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
Curry Paste
dry spice mix (above)
4 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 punnet (30 g) fresh coriander
10 cm piece of fresh ginger
6–8 chillies, chopped (with seeds for a hotter curry, without seeds for a milder one)
Curry
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
3 Tbsp (45 ml) Tandoori spice
1.5–2 kg lamb leg steaks, cut into large cubes
2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter
2 cloves garlic, ground into a paste
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, ground into a paste
3 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
6 C (1.5 litres) chicken stock
2 C (500 ml) full-cream plain yoghurt
1 punnet (30 g) fresh coriander, chopped
To Serve
basmati rice
readymade naan bread
chopped tomato and onion sambal
raita (chopped cucumber in yoghurt)
Instructions
Dry Spice Mix
Make the dry spice mix first. Combine all of the spices in a pan and toast until they start to brown slightly. Once toasted, place into a pestle and mortar and grind into a powder. Sieve out the husks and re-toast the remaining powder until fragrant.
Curry Paste
Combine all of the ingredients for the curry paste and blend in a liquidiser or food processor.
Curry
Preheat the oven on the grill setting. Toss the lamb cubes in the olive oil and Tandoori spice until coated. Spread the lamb out onto a baking sheet and brown the cubes under the grill, tossing frequently, for 30 minutes.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sweat the garlic and ginger until soft. Add the curry paste to the saucepan and continue to gently sweat for 20 minutes until fragrant.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stir, cook for about for 10 minutes until soft.
Add the stock and allow to simmer for 3–4 hours (this step can be done the day before and the sauce left to rest overnight).
Add the browned lamb cubes to the sauce and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the yoghurt and coriander.
Serve with steamed basmati rice, buttered naan, chopped tomato and onion sambal and chopped cucumber in yoghurt (raita).