Slow-cooked lamb curry with ginger, chilli, yoghurt and saffron. The list of ingredients in my recipe is small (relatively – I love that!) but those with a very distant flavor. In the olden days it was said that ‘Ratan jog’ was used in the dish. A herb from the region of Kashmir; ground down to a powder which is where the dish gets its vibrant red colour. As an alternative, I would most certainly recommend getting hold of Kashmiri chilli powder which lends a beautiful red tinge to the sauce that coats the meat but isn’t very high on heat. If you are using regular chilli powder ½ tsp should be good though if you prefer a hot curry add a touch more. Also the addition of saffron lends to the appearance. Traditionally in India they would use goat meat though boneless lamb from the shoulder would be a perfect alternative.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ pounds boneless shoulder of lamb - 600gms, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (you can also use lamb on the bone for additional flavour)
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger - ground to a fine paste
- 150 grams Greek yogurt - whisked, about 1 ½ cups
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder - or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 1 generous pinch saffron - soaked in warm water
- salt - to taste
- fresh coriander - roughly chopped for garnish
Spice powder:
- 1 centimeter cinnamon stick
- 5-6 cloves
- 1 blade mace
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 5 pods green cardamom - use the seeds
Instructions
Marinate the lamb:
- Whisk together the ginger paste, Greek yoghurt and Kashmiri chilli powder.
- Add the lamb to the dish, coating all pieces well.
- Marinate for 2-3 hrs or even overnight.
Brown the lamb:
- Grind all the spice powder ingredients in a coffee grinder and set aside.
- Heat the oil over a medium heat in a heavy based sauce pan.
- Add the asafoetida letting it sizzle for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the meat along with its marinade and cook for 40 minutes sealing and browning the pieces all over. Make sure to stir continuously and scrap off the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking.
Braise and serve:
- Add the spice powder stirring to mix in well cooking for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the saffron water along with the strands.
- Add a touch more water only if required or you feel it’s too dry.
- Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15-17 minutes until the lamb is tender and cooked all the way through.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and season to taste. Serve with your favourite Indian bread or pulao.