Ingredients
- thumb-sized piece ginger, 1/2 cut into matchsticks, the rest left whole
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 750 g leg of lamb, diced
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 red chilli or green chilli, deseeded and sliced
- small bunch coriander, stalks finely sliced, leaves approximately chopped
- basmati rice and mango chutney or raita, to serve
Method
- ACTION 1
Put 1/2 the thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 quartered onions and 4 garlic cloves in a food processor with 300 ml water. Blitz to a smooth purée.
- STEP 2
Scrape down the sides with a spoon and blitz again to make it as smooth as you can. Pointer into a deep sauté pan, cover with a cover and simmer for 15 mins.
- STEP 3
Eliminate the cover and cook for 5 mins more, stirring periodically. By now the liquid needs to be all gone. If not, prepare a little bit longer.
- ACTION 4
Add 2 tbsp rapeseed oil to the pan with the remaining piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks. Show up the heat and fry, stirring, for 3-5 minutes till it starts to colour.
- ACTION 5
Stir in 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, then include 750 g leg of lamb. Stir-fry until the lamb modifications colour.
- ACTION 6
Suggestion in 400 g can chopped tomatoes with a can of water and 1 deseeded and sliced red or green chilli, season well, cover and delegate simmer for 1 hr.
- STEP 7
Stir in the carefully sliced stalks from a small bunch coriander, re-cover and cook for a final 30 minutes until the lamb is tender. Add a splash of water if necessary to loosen the consistency as it cooks.
- ACTION 8
Stir in the roughly sliced coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and mango chutney or raita.
Dish from Excellent Food publication, April 2016