Lamb cutlets with crushed mustard potatoes

At Maya, Chef Gurps Bagga cooks these in a tandoor. He recommends marinating the lamb overnight to infuse the cutlets with the maximum amount of flavour.

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 long green chilli, seeded, finely chopped
• 8 cm piece ginger, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ cup firmly packed mint leaves, chopped
• 2½ tbsp natural yoghurt
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 12 lamb cutlets, French-trimmed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra, to grease
• dry tandoori masala spice and lemon juice, to serve

Mustard potatoes

• 800 g (about 8) royal blue or desiree potatoes
• 2 tbsp mustard or vegetable oil
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 3 cm piece ginger, cut into julienne
• 1 long green chilli, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander

Marinate time overnight

Drink match 2007 Geoff Merrill Cabernet Sauvignon.

Instructions

To make marinade, using a mortar and pestle, grind chilli, ginger, garlic, mint leaves and a pinch of salt to a fine paste. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in yoghurt, garam masala and fenugreek. Using a meat mallet, flatten lamb cutlets slightly, then rub all over with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Remove lamb from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

To make mustard potatoes, place potatoes in a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and roughly crush with the back of a spoon.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until smoking. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 10 seconds or until seeds pop. Add ginger, chilli and onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in turmeric, coriander, potatoes and 100 ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until potatoes are heated through. Season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm.

Preheat a grill to high. Remove lamb from marinade, place on a greased oven tray and cook lamb under grill for 5 minutes each side or until lightly browned and cooked to medium or to your liking.

Sprinkle with dry tandoori masala spice, drizzle with lemon juice and serve with mustard potatoes.

Photography by Rob Frith.

As seen in Feast magazine, December 2011, Issue 4. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

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.