Lamb Curry

Lamb Madras

Read recipe carefully to allow enough preparation and cooking time.

Serves 6

1kg (2 lb 4 oz) boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes

1½ teaspoons ground turmeric

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

10 dried chillies

12 curry leaves

10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

5 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, roughly chopped

1 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 tablespoons tamarind puree or tamarind paste

1 tablespoons oil or ghee

3 large onions, sliced

625ml (2½ cups) coconut milk

8 cm (3 inch) cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

Curry leaves

1. Rub the cubed lamb with the ground turmeric.  Place a small frying pan over low heat and dry-roast the coriander seeds until aromatic.  Remove and dry-roast the cumin seeds, then repeat with the chillies.  Grind them all to a powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.  Add six curry leaves, the garlic and ginger and grind to a paste.
2. Dry-roast the fennel seeds in the pan until they brown and start to pop.  Dissolve the tamarind in 125 ml (½ cup) hot water.
3. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy based saucepan over low heat and fry the onion for 5-10 minutes until soft.  Add the chilli paste and cook for a few minutes or until aromatic.  Add the meat and toss well to mix with the paste.  Add 500 ml (2 cups) of the coconut milk and 60 ml (¼ cup) water.  Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced. 
4. When the liquid has reduced, add the remaining coconut milk, the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and whole fennel seeds.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, partially covered over medium heat, for 1 hour or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.  When the meat is tender, add the tamarind and check the seasoning.  Stir until the oil separates out from the meat, then spoon it off or blot with paper towels before removing the pan from the heat. 
5. Stir well and add the remaining six curry leaves. 
6. Garnish with more curry leaves. 

My kitchen notes:

Leave out chillies or use less according to your liking.

I added grated palm sugar and beef stock powder at the end to season curry and bring out a bit more of that salty-sweet flavour that we like.