Lamb Curry – Two Ways

Posted byJimi FiloPosted inToolsTags:, ,

Below are two different styles of lamb curry. The Punjab is a bit more mild and uses fewer ingredients. The Mumbai is a bit more complex and spicier (which is my preferred recipe).

Note: As with most Indian cooking, all whole spices should be lightly toasted in advance.

Hardware

  • Food processor (or an Immersion Blender and a tall-form beaker)
  • Large Dutch Oven or Slow-Cooker (crockpot)
  • Small pan for toasting spices/nuts (or toaster oven)
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Tongs
  • A Sharp Knife 🙂

Punjabi Style Lamb Curry

Serves ~4-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 2-3lbs Lamb, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 lb Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  • 3 Tbs High-Temp Cooking Oil or Ghee
  • 2 Large Yellow Onions, sliced thin
  • 1-28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs Garlic-Ginger Paste
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Ground Peppercorns
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • ¼ tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • Minced coriander leaves and red onion to garnish

PREPARATION

  1. Prep in advance: Add tomatoes, chilis, garlic and ginger pastes in a food processor, blitz to a smooth paste. Store in a container and keep in fridge for later use.
  2. Heat the cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat.
  3. When hot, add the onions and sauté until the onions are pale golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn off heat.
  4. In a food processor, blitz the onions into a smooth paste (adding only enough water for it to spin) and remove into a separate container.
  5. Heat the oil left over from frying the onions on med-high, and sear the meat. Remove and set aside.
  6. Reduce heat to med and put the onion paste in the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add the tomato mix and all the spices, except masala. Mix well.
  8. Sauté the sauce until the oil begins to separate, scraping up anything on the bottom
  9. Reduce heat to low, add Garam Masala and incorporate.
  10. Taste and correct with salt
  11. Add the Masala Sauce and Lamb to slow cooker and add enough water to the pan for desired sauce consistency and cook for about 4hrs on high.
  12. Add the potatoes at the 3hr mark.
  13. Plating: Garnish with minced coriander leaf and red onion. Side with garlic-naan and/or saffron basmati.

Mumbai Style Lamb Curry

Serves ~4-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4lbs Lamb (bone-in, leg preferred)
  • 2 Yellow Onion, diced
  • 1 Cup Shredded Dried Coconut
  • 1-28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs Garlic – Ginger Paste
  • 1-3 Green Thai Chillies
  • 1 Bay Leaves
  • 1tsp Ground Peppercorns
  • 1 Tbs Caraway Seeds
  • 1 Tbs Fennel Seeds
  • 1 Tbs Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Powder (Kashmiri Mirch preferred)
  • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • 2 Tbs Cashew Nuts, crushed and toasted
  • 6  Fresh Mint Leaves
  • ~2lbs Idaho or Yukon Potatoes peeled and chopped 1” cubes
  • 3-4 Medium Carrots, cut into ¼” medallions (optional) 
  • 2 Tbs Olive Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1-2 C hot water (to desired consistency)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prep in advance: Add tomatoes, chilis, garlic and ginger pastes in a food processor, blitz to a smooth paste. Store in a container and keep in fridge for later use.
  2. Heat the cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat.
  3. When hot, add the onions. Sauté till the onions begin to turn a pale golden brown in color.
  4. Then add the coconut and Sauté for a few minutes more.
  5. Turn off heat and remove the mix from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  6. Process the Onion Coconut Mix into a smooth paste (adding very little to no water) and reserve. 
  7. Heat the oil left over from frying the onions on med-high, and sear the meat. Remove and set aside.
  8. Reduce heat to med and put the onion paste in the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  9. Add the tomato mix and the spices, except masala. Mix well.
  10. Sauté the sauce until the oil begins to separate, scraping up anything on the bottom
  11. Reduce heat to low, add Garam Masala and incorporate.
  12. Taste and correct with salt
  13. Add the Masala Sauce and Lamb (leg: fat-side up) to slow cooker and add enough water to the pan for desired sauce consistency and cook for about 4hrs on high.
  14. At the 3 hour mark: Add the potatoes and carrots. If using leg-cut, turn it and when done, shred meat with two forks, and remove bone.
  15. Plating: Garnish with minced coriander leaf and red onion. Side with garlic-naan and/or saffron basmati.
NOTES
  • If you have a “stove-to-crockpot” type of slow cooker insert, you can do everything in there.
  • If you don’t have a slow cooker, then prepare this all in a large dutch oven on a range-top and finish in the oven at 180F for 4-5hrs.
  • I usually use a leg of lamb, Bone-In. I slow cook it intact, and then shred up after it’s cooked. This allows marrow to the stock; also add a little more water for cooking whole-cuts.
  • If using whole-cut (leg), turn it once just before you add the potatoes. 
  • Lightly toasting all whole spices before use is standard practice in Indian cooking.
  • Garlic-Ginger paste: I usually Microplane them 1:1, in larger batches, mix with neutral oil and store frozen in 2-tablespoon portions. Most Indian (and a fair bit of Chinese) recipes use it, so it’s worth keeping on-hand.
  • Come to think of it, it’s probably not a bad idea to have a couple 4-Cup Twist-Locs of the finished Tomato/garlic/ginger/chili mix in the freezer, too. Again, used very frequently; think of it as an Indian Mirepoix.
  • Thai chili – if using jalepeño, use 3 for every 1 Thai pepper.