Lamb Staff Curry
Lamb curry cooked in the traditional style with onion, garlic, ginger & spices.
Ingredients
- 175 ml vegetable or sunflower oil
- 2 large onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger
- 2 tej patta leaves Indian bay leaves, substitute with normal or leave out if you can’t find them
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 black cardamom pods lightly bashed use 5 green cardamom pods or leave out if you want
- 1 piece of cinnamon stick or cassia bark
- 2 rounded tbsp curry Masala ‘Ome Made Madras or B.I.R are perfect for this or 3 tsp ground coriander, 1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder
- Around 1.4kg of lamb on the bone cut into medium sized pieces. Lamb shoulder is ideal, and a good butcher should oblige and cut the meat up for you. Another good cut is lamb neck.
- 1 tbsp of tomato puree diluted with 3 tbsp of water
- 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or around 10 – 12 fresh tomatoes roughly chopped.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- A few sliced green chillies or more to suit your taste
- 1 tbsp kasoori methi
- A good couple handfuls of chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan; make sure you have a lid for it.
- Add the whole spices and when they start to sizzle add the onions. Cook on a low heat until the onions are starting to brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for a minute more.
- If the oil has disappeared add a little more, you need the oil to cook the ground spices out.
- Add the curry Masala or ground spices to the pan and continue to cook on a low heat for 45 seconds
- Add the diluted tomato puree, stir in and cook for 30 seconds or so.
- Add the meat and stir to seal all over
- Add the tomatoes and salt, stir in and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to the lowest you can (a heat diffuser on gas works a treat) and put the lid on. Leave to cook for around 30 minutes.
- Take the lid off and stir. If it looks a little dry add a splash of water. Add the Garam Masala, kasoori methi and green chillies if you are using. Stir in and put the lid back on. Leave to cook for another 15 – 20 minutes.
- After 15 – 20 minutes remove the lid and stir. If you like a thick sauce you may want to turn the heat up now and let it reduce down. If the sauce looks a little oily for your taste you can use a ladle to skim some of the oil off.
- Once the sauce is at the consistency you require and the meat is soft and almost falling off the bone, check the seasoning and add up to another 1 tsp salt to taste.
- Stir in the fresh coriander and serve over plain boiled rice with a chapatti or roti.
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