I don’t usually follow recipes for my Indian main dishes. This one turned out so tasty I thought I should write it down.

ingredients

• 500g diced lamb
• 1 lime
• ½ lemon
• spice mix 1: teaspoon ground coriander, teaspoon ground cumin, teaspoon ground turmeric
• 250g natural yoghurt
• 2 red onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 birds eye chillies
• 2cm piece of ginger
• ghee
• spice mix 2: pinches of coriander seed, cumin seed, mustard seed, onion seed, fennel seed and caraway seed
• ½ tube of tomato puree
• 1 sachet creamed coconut (or quarter of block)
• spice mix 3: 2 teaspoons garam masala (preferably home made), 2 cardamom pods, 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of coriander leaves

directions

1. Put lamb in a bowl and add the juice of the lime and lemon. Mix, cover and leave in the fridge for as long as possible, preferably overnight.
2. At least 2 hours before cooking, add spice mix 1 and the yoghurt. Mix, cover again and leave to marinate.
3. Puree the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger. Add some water to soften the puree.
4. Heat some ghee and add spice mix 2. When the seeds start popping add the puree. Fry gently for 15 minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree and fry for further 5 minutes.
6. Add the lamb and marinade, turn up the heat and cook for 10 mins.
7. While this is cooking, add coconut to half a cup of boiling water to make coconut milk.
8. Turn down the heat, add the coconut, spice mix 3. Add good pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
9. Turn down the heat as low as it can go on smallest ring, cover and leave to simmer for 40 minutes. Stir occasionaly.
10. Chop coriander, add to pan, cover and simmer for further 20 minutes. (if it’s too wet, don’t cover)

Serve with rice and your favourite side dish, salad or accompaniments