Aromatic Indian lamb curry with pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 1.2kg boneless lamb shoulders fat trimmed, cut into 5cm chunks
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp Indian curry powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 2 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp ginger finely grated
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 4 cardamom pods crushed
- 2 star anise
Rice pilaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cups basmati rice washed until water runs clear
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 bunch coriander chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Place lamb pieces in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine turmeric, garam marsala, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper; add to lamb and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 140°C on conventional (top and bottom) heat. Place a large, heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat; add oil and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and sauté for 5 minutes. Add lamb, tomato, garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan; stir on a medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add water, cardamom pods and star anise, and stir well; cover with lid; place in the oven and cook for 3 hours. When the lamb has cooked for 2½ hours, prepare the rice.
- Place oil in a medium ovenproof saucepan over medium heat; add onion and cook just until tender; add rice and pine nuts; cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water and extra salt and stir well. Bring to the boil and stir; remove from heat, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven alongside lamb. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven along with the lamb; allow rice to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Add coriander to the curry and stir through.
- To serve, fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with curry.
Notes
Using a Dutch oven (cast iron pot), ensures even cooking, retaining the heat, without losing too much liquid. For a more authentic flavour, substitute extra virgin olive oil with ghee. Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It’s more concentrated in fat than butter, as its water and milk solids have been removed. It has a rich flavour. If you wish, potatoes can be added to the dish. Cut into chunks and add to the curry before cooking. A refreshing accompaniment to this dish would be a raita made with yoghurt, cucumber and mint.
Cleo says: “This curry really captures the essence of warm winter cooking. The aromas created by the cooking and the flavours were amazing. Not to mention the pilaf, which was the perfect accompaniment.”