Lamb curry

This is Gargi's favourite Indian curry so it's the perfect choice to make a large recipe for a her family feast. You might also like our cold lamb curry recipe, served with mango chutney and naan.

• serves

  8–10

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2½ kg lamb
• 2 pieces cinnamon bark, plus extra crushed to serve
• 4 cardamom pods, plus extra crushed to serve
• 4 cloves
• ½ cup olive oil
• 4–5 dried chillies
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 fresh chillies, chopped
• pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 1½ onion, minced
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• sprinkle of sugar
• fresh coriander, chopped to serve

Marinade

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed

Marinating time 2–3 hours

Instructions

Chop the lamb into cubes.

To make the marinade combine the cumin powder, turmeric, ginger, yoghurt and garlic into a paste then mix through the cubes of lamb and refrigerate for 2–3 hours. 

Crush the cinnamon bark, cardamom pods and cloves in a mortar and pestle.

Place olive oil into a pressure cooker over medium heat, add the dried chillies, the crushed cinnamon, cardamom and clove, the chopped onion, chopped fresh chilli and fenugreek seeds, cook stirring until the onion has softened. Then add the lamb and stir thoroughly to mix the spices through the meat.

Add minced onion, salt, crushed garlic, ginger paste, diced tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and finish with a sprinkle of sugar. Continue to stir throughout this process, as the meat starts to release it's juices and bring to the boil. When it’s nice and juicy put the lid on the pressure cooker and simmer for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Depressurise the cooker before opening.

To serve add more crushed cinnamon and cardamom and sprinkle over the coriander.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.