Lamb Curry - South Indian Style (Lamb Recipes)

Member Name: anonymili

Product:	Lamb Recipes
Date:	16/10/08 (255 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some like it hot...

Disadvantages: Some can't handle it...

My husband (who is South Indian) taught me how to make this lamb dish a few years ago and now he says that I make it far better than he ever could. Being North Indian, it's quite different to the lamb curries my mum made when I was growing up but I much prefer this way of cooking it now...


~*~ INGREDIENTS ~*~

* 2 teaspoons sunflower oil
* 1 kilo of lamb, diced to 1 inch square cubes, on or off the bone
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
* 3 medium sized onions, roughly chopped
* 2 teaspoons garam masala
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
* 3 teaspoons finely grated ginger
* 5 green chillies, sliced down the middle lengthways
* 800 ml water


~*~ PREPARATION ~*~

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, frying till light brown, then add the ginger and garlic and green chillies and fry for a further 3 or 4 minutes on full heat.

Add the diced lamb and fry on full heat for at least 10 minutes stirring the whole time to ensure the heat is evenly distributed and no raw lamb remains.

Add the salt and red chilli powder, continuing to stir so that you don't get lumpy bits of either (nor the possibility of a mouthful of red chilli powder and a horrid shock once cooked). Pour in 400 ml water and stir well.

Leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the garam masala stirring thoroughly and add the rest of the water. Leave to simmer for a further 20 minutes, again stirring occasionally.

If you prefer your lamb to be more tender, the simmering time should be increased by a further 15-20 minutes.


~*~ SERVING ~*~

This curry tastes fabulous if served up shortly after being prepared. You can serve it up with plain boiled rice, naan bread, chapatis or even regular bread if you choose. Some people might even fancy their lamb curry with chips!


~*~ VARIATIONS ~*~

You might want to add more salt to the curry depending on your taste or even less but you can work this out once you've made this a couple of times.

You can add more green chillies or less depending on your ability to handle hot food. Personally I use 1 full teaspoon of red chilli powder and 10-15 green chillies when I make this dish and add a pinch or two of turmeric too.

For garam masala I use the ready-made packet stuff, some people might prefer to use the original ingredients from scratch using items such as cumin seeds, coriander and turmeric if you have the time or inclination. Some people might prefer also vegetable oil or even olive oil rather than sunflower oil.

For ginger and garlic I tend to make batches of ginger and garlic paste and store it in the freezer, keeping one container in the fridge for use with cooking. In this instance I would use 2-3 tablespoons of the pre-made paste rather than peeling and grating.

If you prefer your gravy thicker, add slightly less water - obviously more if you want it runnier and less spicy.

If you are not keen on lamb you can easily substitute chicken, turkey, pork or beef for the lamb, although cooking time for chicken or turkey should be reduced otherwise it will overcook.


NB: preparation time for me from start to finish is usually about 70-90 minutes...

Summary: A medium hot lamb curry