Homestyle Lamb Curry Recipe
A traditional-style ‘bone in’ lamb curry that’s cooked slowly in one pot for remarkable depth and breadth of flavour. This recipe demonstrates a typical style of cooking curry in South Asian households, and also in British Indian Restaurant kitchens, where it’s often referred to as a ‘staff curry’. As the name implies, this isn’t for customers but for restaurant staff, and is eaten at or near the end of a shift. I’m glad to see that some restaurants have started to list their staff curry on the customer menu, and rightly so. It’s delicious.
There are few real words that can be used to adequately describe the magical flavour of a meat-based curry cooked with the bones. I think it’s best to just listen to the impulsive animal-like utterances of your family or friends when you cook this Misty Ricardo special dish for them. And please do – they will thank you for it!
Beef, mutton, goat, or other red meats can be used instead of lamb for this curry. Make sure you still use bones for the added flavour. Other types of meats may take less or more time to cook. Adjust accordingly.
This homestyle lamb curry recipe serves four. No base gravy or mix powder is used in this recipe.
Books by Richard Sayce
INGREDIENTS
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180ml Oil
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4 Asian Bay Leaves (Tej Patta). European Bay Leaves may be used instead but have a different flavour
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10cm Cassia Bark
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6 Green Cardamom Pods, split open (or just use the seeds inside from within the pods)
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4 Cloves 350g Onion, chopped (approx. 3 medium ones)
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20g Garlic Cloves, minced or very finely chopped (about 6 cloves)
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10g Ginger, also minced or very finely chopped
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600-700g Lean Lamb Leg Meat, cut into 2-3cm pieces
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300-400g Lamb Bones cut into large chunks (see Notes)
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1 TBSP Kasuri Methi
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1½ TBSP Cumin Seeds
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1 TBSP Coriander Powder, freshly ground from seeds
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1 tsp Turmeric
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2 tsp Paprika
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1½ tsp Garam Masala
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1½ tsp Salt 1 tsp Chilli Powder (optional)
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1 TBSP Fennel Seeds (optional)
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4 TBSP Tomato Puree (double concentrated) plus 180ml Water
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4-6 TBSP fresh Coriander Stalks, finely chopped
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Any other Vegetables you fancy, e.g. Aubergine, Carrot, Squash, Pepper (optional)
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4-6 fresh Green Chillies, chopped (optional)
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300ml Water
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A handful of fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped 200g Potato, peeled and diced into 3cm cubes (approx. 1-2 medium sized ones)
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1-1½ TBSP Butter Ghee (optional)
METHOD
- Add the oil to a large saucepan or pot (I suggest one of 5 litre minimum capacity) on low-medium heat.
- When the oil has heated up throw in the Asian bay leaves, cassia bark, cardamom pods, and cloves. Stir into the oil for 45-60 seconds to start infusing flavour.
- Add the chopped onion. Fry gently until the onions melt down and turn a golden brown. Stir frequently and be patient as it will take some time, perhaps up to 20-30 minutes. When the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little water and de-glaze the surface. Repeat this process as often as needed until the onions are nicely browned.
- Then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a further couple of minutes, stirring diligently.
- Add the kasuri methi, cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric, paprika, garam masala, salt, and the optional chilli powder and fennel seeds. Mix together well and cook for a few minutes, once again stirring diligently to prevent anything sticking to the pan and burning.
- Next add the pieces of lamb and the bones. Turn up the heat to medium high and mix it all together well. Cook for 5 minutes until the lamb has browned and has sealed, stirring frequently.
- Now add the tomato paste, fresh coriander stalks, 300ml of water, and the optional green chillies and/or other chosen vegetables.
- Mix once again, bring back to a simmer, then cover and leave to cook on a low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir from time to time to stop the sauce sticking to the pan and burning. No additional water should be necessary.
- Add the potato cubes and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
- After that time if the sauce is thin, cook uncovered on a slightly higher heat for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
- Test the lamb for tenderness by gently stabbing a piece with a fork. If the lamb doesn’t surrender and bleat ‘eat me’, re-cover the pan and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, after which you can retest it.
- Taste the sauce and add extra salt if desired, and add extra salt and/or sugar to taste.
- Scoop out the lamb bones and discard. You might also want to retrieve the whole spices (see Notes).
- Finally, stir in a generous handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves. If you want a richer taste, melt in the butter ghee.
- Serve with chapati, naan, or rice.
Watch the Video
NOTES
- All spoon measurements are level (1 tsp = 5ml, 1 TBSP = 15ml).
- I strongly endorse the use of lamb bones in this dish – they augment the curry with an extra-special flavour. A 1kg leg of lamb has about the amount of lean meat needed for this recipe, so buy one from your butcher. Ask him or her to trim the fat, strip the meat from the bone, cube it, and chop the bones.
- Beef, mutton, goat, or other red meats can be used instead of lamb for this curry. Make sure you still use bones for the added flavour. Other types of meats may take less or more time to cook. Adjust accordingly.
- You will have noticed the abundance of whole garam masala spices used in this curry. For convenience you can leave them in when serving the curry, but to play safe scoop the whole spices out beforehand. The cassia bark and bay leaves are the easy pickings – good luck with the cardamom and cloves!
- This homestyle lamb curry recipe can be cooked in a pressure cooker from stage 8 onwards. Adjust the amount of water added from 300ml to 250ml in stage 7. Seal the cooker after mixing, bring it to high pressure, then leave for 20 minutes before releasing the pressure. Subsequently if the meat is still not tender or the sauce is runny you can simmer it further until ready.
