I had a Tweet request for Lamb Curry, so this one is for you, my friend!
In India, sheep and goat breeds vary from region to region depending on agro-ecological conditions. We mainly ate goat meat, but since Father was in the army and moved all over India, we would eat lamb in some areas. This recipe should be good with any variety of lamb. To me, lamb has a stronger flavor than goat. Both meats are good for stews and curries and go well with Indian spices. I like to cook the curry with a couple of marrow bones or bones as it give the curry a great taste. They are a lot smaller than beef bones. When we were growing up, the marrow bone was prized amongst us kids. Bone marrow may sound to many like a terrible thing to eat, but it has tremendous health benefits and is a popular delicacy, particularly in German cuisine. Bone marrow has made a comeback in recent years and is served at trendy restaurants.
At home, since we were a family of 9, there were only a few marrow bones in a curry, so we would take turns and share. On our “Marrow Bone Day,” our place setting would have a marrow spoon. It was a long, narrow metal scoop about 5″- 6″ long that we used to scoop the marrow out. Actually, by the time the curry was cooked the tender part of the bone was soft enough to chew, but Dad frowned on such behavior at the table! But, being kids, we’d sneak into the kitchen and try on occasion to do just that. Cook was sworn to secrecy and would keep an eye out for Father! For those who have chewed on chicken bones and ribs, you know what I mean.
Lamb Curry
Ingredients
- 1 large whole black cardamom
- 2 small whole green cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sticks (about an inch long) cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 6 black pepper corns
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped, about 5 oz)
- 1 large potato (optional, peeled and quartered )
- 1 small Serrano green chili (optional)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground garlic
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less to your taste)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt if you don't have garlic salt)
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
- 3 cups hot water
Instructions
Helpful Hint
- To make things easier, have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking.
To Cook
- Heat oil in a 4-5 quart cooking pot over medium-high heat.
- Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon cloves, peppercorn, and green serrano. Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped onions. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes until half caramelized (brown).
- Add the garlic paste, ginger paste, as well as coriander, turmeric, and chili powders, (Alternately, you can mix the spice powders with the ginger-garlic paste and a little water before adding them to the pot). Stir for about a minute until fragrant, stirring and scraping the bottom, so it doesn't stick and burn. If it is sticking, just pour in a little hot water.
- Add the lamb stew meat, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and garlic salt (or salt). Cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it cook in its own juice for another 5 minutes.
- Uncover and cook until the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to surface on the sides. Be sure to continue to stir occasionally so that the masala does not stick to the pot and burn.
- Now add the tomato paste and about a quarter cup of hot water. Let it cook, stirring frequently, for another 4 minutes.
- Pour the rest of the hot water and let it simmer until the meat is tender, about 25 minutes.
- If you like to add potatoes to your curry, you can add them at this point. You can add a little more hot water if you like a thinner gravy, but do not let it get too liquidy!
- Pour into a serving dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro.
- Lamb Curry pairs well with rice, rice pilaf, naans, or rotis (tortillas).