Lamb Madras
Hot and Fiery Lamb
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Heat
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Serves
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Dietary Info
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Prep 20 mins
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Cook 1 hr
A classic hot and tangy south Indian dish of toasted spices in a deep rich sauce.
Hari says
Early restaurateurs had no way of communicating the scale of heat in a dish so an arbitrary scale was created - a korma is mild, a phall is crazy hot and so on. Now the standard restaurant dishes all fit somewhere on that gradient.
However, one sauce was created by restaurateurs in the UK that was hot, fiery and tangy - and they called it Madras. Madras is a city in India now called Chennai – it's a hot, dry region in India so this was a great way to imply the level of heat in this dish. History lesson over!
If you want to get to grips with your spices this is a lovely dish to put together as you have to create your own Madras spice blend. A beautifully fragrant recipe for when you're ready for a little more of a challenge.
To get the main ingredients for my Madras, buy my curry kit here.
Top Tip:
If you haven’t got the time to make this in the evening, then you can slow cook it so it’s ready when you get in.
- Ingredients
- Method
- 400-600g leg of lamb, trimmed and chopped
Madras Powder
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp white poppy seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 cassia bark stick (about 7cm long)
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Masala Sauce
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 10-12 fresh curry leaves
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped (2 for more heat)
- 2 cm ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 400g / 1 tin plum tomatoes
- 2 tsp tamarind pulp
- 1 tsp hot red chilli powder (optional)
- Handful fresh coriander
Method
- To create your madras powder combine black peppercorns, cassia, cloves, coriander, fenugreek, mustard, poppy, cumin and fennel seeds, and grind to a fine powder with an electric grinder, blender, or pestle and mortar.
- Stir in the turmeric and 1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder into the spice blend.
- Place the lamb in a large bowl and rub with 2 or 3 tablespoons of madras curry powder and the salt until all the meat is coated. Transfer the remaining powder into a well-sealed jar for another time.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan until hot. Add the mustard seeds – once they start to pop, stir in the curry leaves and then the onions.
- Soften the onions until they turn dark brown (about 20 minutes) before adding the green chilli and ginger along with the finely chopped garlic.
- Keep stirring as the mix has a tendency to catch on the bottom of the pan. If it does catch add a splash of water.
- After a few minutes, add the tomatoes, tamarind and if you like it very spicy add a tsp of hot red chilli powder. Bring this to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer to create a thick masala sauce.
- Once it is shiny and thick add the lamb to the pan. Stir to coat the meat with the sauce. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and leave to cook very gently for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until it's cooked through.
- Stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened and the lamb is tender.
Served with
The dark tangy sauce works great with plain basmati rice or roti, but I also like to have a veg dish like saag or some spiced potatoes on the side.
Nutritional information
| Typical values* | per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 376 |
| Fat (g) | 17 |
| of which saturates (g) | 6 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 19 |
| of which sugars (g) | 4 |
| Fibre (g) | 8 |
| Protein (g) | 41 |
| Salt (mg) | 631 |
This goes well with
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Comments
Comments (74)
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Hari Ghotra
Hi Amazing - you can post an image if you download my free app - I would love to see it! Thanks Hari
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Richard Gardiner
Hi Hari.
I've just made you're slow cooker lamb shanks. Second time and once again delicious. This time as I lifted the shanks out of the bowl t blend the sauce up all the meat totally fell off. Please don't misunderstand, this was absolutely delish' but I would liked to have presented as you did pyramid ginger etc. Did I "overcook" ? I had it on for about 8 hours on low. Thank you very much I love cooking your recipes. Rich Gardiner. -
Wayne Robinson
Hari, hi
I don’t seem to be able to get the depth of colour that your photos convey, especially the Madras....yes mine was red, but not as dark as your photo?-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Wayne The colour really comes from the onions - ideally cook your onions down until they are dark, add a little water to the onions and continue to cook them until they turn deep drown. I hope this helps - let me know if you try it again. Thanks for your comments Hari
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Wayne Robinson
Hari, hi
Your curry kits have been a revelation. The depth and the breadth of flavours is incredible. I have now tried two kits - madras and murgh - both of which turned out beautifully, or so the feedback from my family suggested ?
However, whilst they tasted amazing they didn’t look anything like your photos? More practising I guess!-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Wayne Wow thank you for trusting me enough to try the kits - I am thrilled that you and the family enjoyed them. Do you mean that the colour of the dishes is different to mine or they look totally different? Thanks so much for you feedback Thanks Hari
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Phil K. Dick
Hi Harri, big fan of the site. I was wondering if you could clarify a couple of points on this recipe:
1) The ingredients list calls for white poppy seeds, but the printed version just says poppy seeds. My partner ended up buying regular (blue) poppy seeds as I gave her the printed version as the shopping list without having noticed the discrepancy. It seems to have turned out OK using them, but you might want to amend the pdf version.
2) The ingredients list calls for "red chilli powder" for the madras powder, and "hot chilli powder" for the masala. Is the "red chilli powder" for the madras Kashmiri chilli powder (Kashmiri mirch), or just a standard non-hot Indian chilli powder? Also, these two ingredients appear to be transposed in steps 2 and 7 of the method: it calls for "chilli powder" in the madras powder and "red chilli" in the masla. We were unsure which chilli powder went into its respective component.
Many thanks for your time.-
Hari Ghotra
Hello Phil Thanks so much for your comments and feedback. Apologies about the discrepancy in the printed version I will get that amended. Generally in Indian cuisine we use white poppy seeds but there isn't really and flavour impact in using the black or blue it just darkens the colour a little and in this deep rich madras that isn't a problem at all. With the Chilli powder I usually use Kashmiri chilli powder in the blend - it's not too hot but gives a great colour. I will amend this on the recipe to make it more clear but the reason I also add hot chilli powder to the masala is because this is usually a hotter dish so I like to add more heat. The other option would be to add chopped green chillies to the masala to make the base sauce. I will go through the recipe and clarify all your points. Thanks so much for the feedback. Did you cook the dish? Thanks Hari
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Rob H
Hi Hari,
I am going to try this recipe this weekend as it looks amazing, I am going to be cooking my meat on the bbq so I will not be using the method of cooking the meat in this recipe and I am concerned I won't get the flavour from the Madras powder. Should I adjust the recipe and if so how?
Thanks, Rob-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Rob What are you planning to do? Do you mean you are going to cook the meat on the BBQ or the curry on the BBQ? You can cook it as a curry in an old pot on the BBQ which would be awesome - smoky and delicious. I suspect you mean you are doing the meat on the bbq if so then use the spices as per the recipe and marinade the meat with the blend. You could add yoghurt to the spices to make it more into a marinade and help the spices penetrate in to the meat. If you want to keep it on the spicier side just add oil to the spices and marinade in that. Does this help? Thanks
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Ken
I've been cooking, and eating curry for a long time. I always used to judge a restaurant by the quality of its madras. But some got lazy, simply adding more chilli to a bog standard curry gravy. Standards slipped as chefs moved onto different dishes. Madras became something which was hot, but not quite vindaloo. But then I have discovered your recipe. Today I tried it - using chicken (thigh meat, on the bone of course) instead of lamb - and I have fallen back in love with madras. It is spicy yet not overpowering. Different tastes shine through. Eating it is a discovery; as you encounter different spices. The gravy is perfect for mopping up with a chapatti. Yes, it is quite hard work to make, but the results are absolutely worth it. I have sent away for your spice pack (and a few more) to see how you do it (I couldn't get any tamarind so used lemon juice instead) and then I intend to use lamb (or mutton, if I can get it) and my slow cooker to get the meat almost falling apart. Thanks for introducing me to this, and for showing me that madras needn't be mediocre.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Ken Wow - that was so wonderful to read. Thank you for your sharing your thoughts on the recipe and I am thrilled that you enjoyed cooking and eating it. I do believe that it's about layers of flavour and not just heat - dishes should be distinct and as you say about discovery of flavours. Thank you for trying my recipe and I would love to hear what you think of the kits. The kits are also about how you get these layers of flavour into your food and about you cooking so I do hope you love using them. Thanks so much Hari
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David
Thanks for this dish. Is there any advantage to cooking it longer? Would two hours make it taste better or is that just too long?-
Hari Ghotra
Hi David It really depends on the meat - if mutton then yes it's fine to leave for a few hours. With lamb you can but you don't want it to start breaking down too much. Hope that helps. Hari
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Andy
Hi Hari,
I've cooked three of your recipes now and they have all been fantastic!
Thanks,
Andy-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Andy Thanks so much for your feedback - That is fab to hear. I'm so pleased that you have enjoyed the dishes you have cooked so far. I would love to see picture of the dishes so would be great if you could post them on social or in the app. www.harighotra.co.uk/app (it's free) and a great place to chat to Indian food lovers. Thanks so much Hari
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Robin
Hi Hari
We are having a curry party at the weekend and I need to accomodate 10 people, what quantities do you recommend?? Looking forward to giving this a go having done your exquisite Chicken Chettinad to much applause.
Thanks Robin-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Robin Thanks so much for coming back to the website for inspiration. I usually go for about 100g meat per person less if you are cooking other dishes too but I always prefer to have too much then too little. I would recommend doing something like a biryani because it goes a long way and means your don't need to cook you rice at the last minute. You can also get it ready the day before too. A simple veg side dish always works well too something like this http://www.harighotra.co.uk/falia-di-sabjee-recipe I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else. Also I am an ambassador for a charity called find your feet where we cook curry for friends to raise money here are the details - it would be great if you could weave it into your evening http://www.curryforchange.org.uk/ Have fun!
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Ellie
Hi Hari, we've made this curry before and we absolutely loved it. I've recently bought a pressure cooker and would love to use it with this recipe. Do you know how long it would take? Thanks-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Ellie Glad you like the Madras - it really is super tasty. I would cook this in a pressure cooker for about 20-30 minutes. Hope this helps - let me know how you get on. Thanks Hari
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Snapey
I very never leave comments but I just had to after this recipe. What a belter! I had to amend it slightly as I was using chicken. I added the madras powder with the chilli powder Frying off (Bhuna) the dry spice mix with a bit of water before adding the tomato, I also used a smidge of lemon juice instead of tamarind (I didn't have any) and a tsp of dried methi leaves with 10 minutes to go as I prefer them to coriander. All in all the best tasting Madras I've had outside an English curry house, and it's only better in there as they do all the work.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Andy Wow what a compliment - Thank you so much for trying this recipe i'm so glad you gave this one a go and even more happy to hear that you loved it. Please do let me know what else you try from the website and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers Hari
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Jemma Way
Hi Hari
I am looking to cook this dish this weekend, a couple of questions, would it work as well with beef and what cut of lamb or beef would you suggest to slow cook? Also the cooking time in a slow cooker, 6 hours?
Thanks Jemma-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Jemma - sorry yes 6 hours or longer for slow cooking. Thanks -
Hari Ghotra
Hi Jemma im so sorry I am away at the moment and didn't get round to responding in time I do hope you managed to cook this dish ok. In answer to your questions yes it works beautifully with beef. You could try this with lamb neck fillet, shoulder (well trimmed) Beef shank, brisket would be good - cheap cuts are good for low and slow cooking. Hope this helps - Let me know how you got on. Thanks Hari
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Monty
Dear Hari,
I hope it's not against tradition to mix recipes. I have taken your lamb shank recipe and crossed it with the madras and rogan josh recipes, for a slow cooked (3+hours), fiery curry. It's in the oven now, I'll stir in some yoghurt to balance the heat around 30 mins before removing from the oven. It smells great and the sauce looks thick and hearty, so here's hoping. Thank you so much for the ideas and inspiration.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Monty There are no rights and wrongs when you are inspired in the kitchen. Hope it came out tasty! Thanks for sharing Hari
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Richard
Hi Hari - additionally, the Menu ingredients says 2 tbsp turmeric
This also seems rather a lot and wondered if it should be 2 Teaspoons and not 2 Tablespoons
Thanks
Richard-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Richard this will make more than you need for one dish so you can store what you don't use for next time. If you only want to make it for one hit then half the ingredients but I find it's difficult to grind down a small amount of spices like that. Hope this helps. Hari
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Richard
For the Madras power the menu ingredients says "2 tbsp coriander seeds"
Before I make a start on this, can I just check that it really is 2 Tablespoons and not 2 Teaspoons of coriander seeds?
(It's just that 2 Tablespoons seems rather a lot)
Thanks -
mark harvey
I've been cooking curries for many many years, and I've only just found Hari and her web site whilst also looking for a lamb madras recipe like Bob.This recipe is an absolute belter and I really like the site as a whole too, it looks very fresh. I marinated the lamb overnight with a bit of jogurt too, and then at the end I transferred it to a slow cooker on low and it was terrific, great recipe.
Mark-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Mark Fantastic - welcome to the Hari Ghotra website and thanks for trying the Madras recipe. I'm chuffed to pieces that you liked it and that you added a few personal twists too. Nothing better than slow cooked lamb with some wonderful warming spices. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment i'm looking forward to hearing what you will try next! Thanks Hari
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Greg Upton
You're probably my guessing I've been cooking many of your recipes over the past week lol.
I'm a seasoned madras fiend but do prefer my curries hotter when eating out.
I cooked this recipe to the letter and it went down very well with my 5 guests on Easter Monday. Everybody thought that the tamarind (I used high quality pulp I brought home from Sri Lanka recently) was too strong a flavour. As such I'll halve that ingredient next time but also leave the meat overnight in the marinade as I'm certain it will transform this dish. As it's lamb I'll be cooking it slowly in the oven next time too as I know it will put this on another planet taste wise.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Greg Tamarind varies so much from batch to batch and where you get it from. Next time taste it before you add it and if it's super strong like the Sri Lankan stuff you have then yes reduce it. Let me know how you go next time you try this one. Thanks for your comments Hari
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Ray Boden
Hi Hari, Aah ya gooin!, Tried the lamb madras tonight, must say if you like your curry, this is the one, followed your recipe to the word(not like me because i like to tinker with the recipe) but this was superb, better than the other recipes i have tried, and beleive me i have tried a few!, The brown onions really give good colour and sweetness, although when you first try it you think you might end up with burnt onion taste ( but that is not the case if you take your time) Tip: always have beer handy whilst waiting for the onions to brown,(approx 2 cans)
Thanks again Hari, Luv your vlog and blog, Trying Pani puri next, onwards and upwards, Ta Raa a Bit From Wolvo.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Ray Now the beer tip is an essential - I don't know how I missed that out, thanks you for sharing it! Super glad to hear that you enjoyed the Madras too. I'm actually in Wolves at the moment visiting my mum so it's lovely to hear from you whilst I'm at home. Pani puri has lots of different bits to it so enjoy making them and make sure you put the whole thing in your mouth in one go. Enjoy
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Nieve
Thanks so much for the lovely recipe Hari, I made this and your Vegetable Pakora for a dinner party last weekend, and everything was delicious, so flavourful! Using your wee Madras spice kit came in so handy as well, it was great to have everything on hand in such a neat little package. You're my first port of call for Indian recipes :)-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Nieve Thanks so much for trying the recipes and the kit - really pleased that you are enjoying using the website and making tasty Indian food at home. Lovely to hear your comments, keep in touch and let me know what you try next time. Thanks Hari
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Richard James
Hi Hari,
This was a great success.
As an experiment, I actually made 2 separate dishes, 1 Lamb (using tender diced lamb) and 1 Chicken (using diced chicken thigh meat)
After lightly salting the meat, I then coated the diced meat with ground spice mixture, coating the chicken pieces a little lighter than I did with the lamb.
I allowed them both to marinade in the fridge for about 3 hours too, which I think added depth to the flavour.
This recipe tastes extremely authentic, and is highly recommended to anyone who hasn't tried this dish yet. Both were very tasty and had the perfect 'spice' strength.
I have enough of the ground spice mixture left over to make a small portion for 2, so am looking forward to that a bit later in the week.-
Hari Ghotra
Hi Richard - thank you so much for letting me know how you got on with this recipe. Im so happy to hear that you enjoyed it and found the recipe easy to cook. Thanks for getting in touch - I can't wait to hear what you try next time! Hari
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Richard Robertson
Thank You, Great Recipe :)-
Hari Ghotra
Thanks Richard - glad you enjoyed it!!
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Abbie
Hi Hari, I made the lamb madras on Sunday and it was amazing. I did the marinade and sauce the day before and assembled it on the day, so no stress either!-
Hari Ghotra
Hey Abbie - Amazing so glad you gave it a go and loved it! Thanks for leaving a comment!
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Hari Ghotra
Hi Nigel - so pleased you enjoyed this one. Thanks again Hari -
Nigel
Another winner Hari. Lovely spicy taste, recommended to all who like curries on the hottish side. -
Hari Ghotra
Hi Danny Glad you enjoyed the vid. You certainly can toast the spices but it just means you have to use them all straight away. You can't really store them once they have been toasted and this makes slightly more then you will need so you can save the spice blend for next time. I have also just launched my curry kits and the Madras one is superb https://www.facebook.com/hari.ghotra/app_410312912374011 Do have a look - so pleased you are enjoying the site. Thanks Hari -
Danny
I just watched the video to this recipe, and want to say thanks, you've answered so many questions I've had about how to really cook a curry! I do have one question left however. Quite a few sources mention lightly toasting the spices before popping them into the coffee grinder... is this good or bad? I will definitely be hanging around your blog and trying out your recipes, starting with this one :) -
Hari Ghotra
Hi Jon Yes you can use tamarind pulp. I say paste because I prefer to make up mine up from rehydrating blocks of tamarind but the paste is fine. You may have to taste it to see how strong it is because it can vary then you can add the right amount to your dish to get it as tangy as you like it. Let me know how you get one. Thanks Hari -
Jon
Hi Hari. This dish looks great, but I have one question: is tamarind pulp and paste the same thing? Or should I keep looking? -
Hari Ghotra
Hi Martin
So glad you liked the dish - It's really rich and comforting isn't it? In terms of ghee yes it does have a distinctive taste and aroma. Its not something that would change the overall flavour but it adds a creamy texture and richness. In general I tend to use ghee for dishes that are creamy and where you need a bit of decadence - a biryani or dhal maybe. For this dish the richness comes from the meat and fat in the meat so in my opinion it's not really one that needs ghee. Hope this helps. -
Martin Hey
absolutely loved this dish which we tried for the first time yesterday. Full of flavour with a wonderful warmth, and have plenty of the madras rub left for next time. If using ghee rather than veg oil would it significantly alter the taste and if so, how? -
Hari
There are different pasties you can use. My one is a traditional north Indian one and the thinner you roll them out the crispier they will be. I prefer this pastry but most people in the UK are used to filo pastry samosa's which are more like the ones from the Gujarat region. You can buy the skins from Indian shops or you can also use filo pasty and bake them if you prefer. This is what I do with my coconut and beetroot ones http://www.harighotra.co.uk/indian-recipes/starters/beetroot-coconut-samosa. -
Gareth crawford
Actually, we made you samosa's as a starter and had them with a mint riata.
They were a little fiddly at first to put together but after a few we gothic e hang of it.
They were great all though not quite as crispy as we would have liked. Is that normal? I was thinking that maybe we didn't have the oil on a high enough temperature of maybe a little too much filing inside?
Anyway they tasted awesome and our guests were quite impressed so we will be making them again in a few weeks for a dinner party for sure! :) -
Hari
Hi Gareth
That is brilliant to hear! I hope you keep the cooking going and try something else from the site too.
Thanks for letting me know.
Hari -
Gareth crawford
I gave the madras kit you sent me a crack last night.
Worked out great. Te pack itself is awesome. Looks really professional, well layed out and extremely easy to follow the instructions.
The curry itself was really delicious and didn't taste bitter at all like when I tried the recipe myself the last time. It was fantastic and the guys I was cooking for all agreed!
Thanks!
Gareth. -
Gareth crawford
Yea I know that the concentrate is very strong, I thought I was using it quiet cautiously but maybe not.
As for the meat, well once I spread the spices over I did give it all a firm rub in for a minute or two.
Thanks a lot for your advice and the madras kit sounds great. I will forward you my address.
Thanks again.
Gareth. -
Hari
Hi Gareth
Thanks for the feedback - My 2 comment would be I tend not to use tamarind concentrate because it's so dark and strong, try and go for a paste or use the blocks that you can rehydrate.
The other is that maybe reduce the amount of fenugreek seeds you use in the blend and when you sprinkle the spices on the meat don't be too heavy handed.
If you send me your address on the contact me form I will pop one of my Madras Curry Kits in the post for you to try.
Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving a comment - it's really helpful to hear how your guys are getting on. Thanks Hari -
gareth
I cooked this dish this evening. I cooked it in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low and I used pork shoulder. It was really nice however it had a little bit of a bitter after taste.
I suspect this was from the tamarind. I actually used concentrated tamarind paste and I think that was the problem?
I still really enjoyed the dish but maybe next time I will be a little more careful with the tamarind :) -
Hari
Hi Peter
Many thanks for your comments - I am so pleased you are enjoying the site and thank you so much for sharing it with your friends.
In terms of plastic utensils I have looked into this a fair bit mainly because I love kitchen wear and like to know what's new. Thanks so much for the link it was a really interesting read and I agree we do have to be careful about everything we use in the kitchen. I too would always recommend using stainless steal pots and cast iron pans, glass storage pots and wooden boards. The utensil I use are made of silicone and having looked into the their safety there isn't anything to suggest they are leaching chemicals into the food - that's not to say it's completely safe, there just isn't enough information out there.
From a personal preference perspective silicone spatulas are great to use because they don't melt, stain or retain smells and are very hygienic. The spatulas are great to use as you can easily scrape everything down. I do also use metal a lot too but it really depends on what I am cooking. http://www.foodreference.com/html/silicone-cookware-safety-310.html.
Do let me know what you cook from the site as I would love to hear how you get on with it. Thanks for taking the time to drop me a note.
Hari -
Peter Franzen
Hi Hari
Great website by the way.
I'll be sharing it with my 4500 plus facebook friends.
Best wishes
Peter -
Peter Franzen
Hi Hari
Great recipe and I will give it a try very soon.
Just one point though and I hope you don't mind me saying it.
I hate to see plastic cooking utensils such as spatulas as they can melt in the pan and are carcinogenic.
http://mightynest.com/learn/getting-started/healthy-living-guides/12-ways-to-avoid-toxins-in-the-kitchen
I prefer to use stainless steel or wooden cooking utensils, cast iron or stainless steel pots and pans on the stove and glass for the microwave and for storage.
Best wishes
Peter -
Hari
Hi Adrian thanks so much for your comments, your professional opinion means a lot, thank you. I'm really glad you are enjoying the videos and the website.
A Madras should be hot and tangy which is probably why you add lemon juice. I like to get my tang from tamarind as it's a little more fruity and not as harsh as lemon juice. You could if you wanted to add a little more tamarind then the recipe suggests if you like more tang but if you prefer using lemon juice then that's fine too.
I have used Spices of Indian a few times and find that their spices are good. You can also buy spices online from Natco. I tend to buy mine in bulk from Indian grocery stores but online is just fine. Make sure you store them correctly to keep them nice and fresh - check out my blog if you want any info on this.
Many thanks for getting in touch and let me know how your Madras works out.
Hari -
Adrian
Hi Hari
I haven't tried this recipe just yet, but I am planning to do so. I have always added a squirt of lemon juice to my madras and also a 1/4 teaspoon of Garam Masala near the end. What are your thoughts on this?
Also, I live in the country, so don't have any local Indian stores near to me. I have therefore bought a lot of Indian spices on-line - Spices of India. Where do you buy your spices from?
BTW excellent website and youtube videos - professionally done and you come across very well and clear. I am a photographer, so bound to take notice ;)
Regards
Adrian -
Jeff
Lamb Madras simply amazing! -
Jeff
Hi Hari. Your lamb Madras was gorgeous! Nothing more to be said x -
Bob Arnott
Hari, I look forward to watching the 'Youtube' presentations and I shall certainly continue to visit your site.
Many thanks once again.
Bob. -
Hari
Bob it's a pleasure - I hope you continue to visit the site and try lots more of the dishes. Many of the recipes are also on my you.tube channel - www.youtube.com/harighotra so you can watch and cook along with me. Looking forward to hearing about what you cook next. Hari -
Bob Arnott
I guess its because most restaurants/takeaways (in my area anyway) tend to use breast meat that us 'budding' home cooks try to replicate their flavours. However, from what I have read/learnt whilst cooking Indian 'style' food, that many traditionalists do prefer thigh meat for the very reasons you state. More thigh meat on my menus in future!
Many thanks for taking the time to respond to my queries.
Regards
Bob. -
Hari
I am a thigh meat fan i'm afraid! I always use it and I find it works particularly well with Indian dishes. With Indian food you tend to cook the meat in the sauce for a longer time period which means thigh is more suited to the style of cooking. When you add breast meat to a sauce it cooks very quickly so the meat doesn't really have enough time to take on the flavour of the sauce. It also dries out very quickly unless you are very careful.
I thigh can be more fatty but just make sure you trim all the fat off when you use it.
I can sense you converting to becoming a thigh meat fan too. Hope that helps. Hari -
Bob Arnott
Hi Hari, Many thanks for your advice. Will give this a go soon. Generally do you prefer to use chicken thigh meat in your cooking? I agree though that it does hold up better with stronger spicing however, I am more accustomed to breast meat. Having said that I have made some great dishes with chicken thigh meat and rather frustratingly recent use of breast meat has been disappointing. For some reason it seems to turn out hard or rubbery. Any ideas why this could be? Regards, Bob. -
Hari
Hi Bob, I am so pleased you enjoyed the dish as well and cooking the recipe. Fresh toms are great to use in this sauce. You are absolutely right this is a very robust sauce but it does work with chicken. I would suggest using chicken thighs as the brown meat holds the flavour better and reduce the the fenugreek seeds by half in the powder and I would only use 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds when you start the masala.
I hope this helps and I would love to know how you get on so do drop me a note. If you can please take a picture of your dish as I would love to put it on my face book page.
Many thanks for your comments Hari. -
Bob Arnott
Hi Hari, Stumbled across your site when looking for Lamb Madras recipe. Saw this one and decided to give it a go (had everything to hand!). Only change was that I used fresh tomatoes. Result... Absolutely great. Thank you so much for imparting your knowledge and experience. I very much like Chicken Madras too but am thinking that this sauce may be a little on the robust side for chicken, any advice on a recipe for a chicken version would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks Bob.
Mr Lee Houghton
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