- 900g leg of lamb or mutton, trimmed and chopped
Spice Blend
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2-3 dried chilli
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
Masala
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 20 curry leaves
- 4cm ginger, grated
- 400g / 1 tin plum tomatoes
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Handful coriander, chopped
Method
- Heat a frying pan and add the cumin seeds, coriander, mustard, fennel, fenugreek seeds, and two or three dried chillies. Keep the spices moving for a minute or two until they go a shade darker. Empty the spices into a bowl and let them cool before grinding to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Leave to one side.
- Heat oil and add onions in a large pan, after a few minutes add the garlic.
- Once they have browned add the curry leaves, with the ginger, tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down creating a thick paste.
- Add the roasted spice mix and turmeric to the pan and stir well. Cook for a minute or two, taking care not to let the sauce catch on the bottom of the pan. If it does, add a splash of water and quickly stir.
- Place the meat in the pan and stir to coat then cook for five minutes. Reduce the heat and put a lid on the pan and cook on a very gentle heat for about 30-40 minutes (longer if using mutton). Check that the meat is tender. If it isn't, leave it for a while longer.
- When the meat is ready, remove the lid from the pan and turn up the heat and fry to reduce the sauce until it almost disappears. The aim is to create a dry, concentrated sauce that clings tightly to the tender meat.
- Finish with a sprinkle of garam masala and a handful of chopped fresh coriander.
Served with
I love this dish with lots of rotis or some garlic naan.
Scott
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