Achari Lamb

Posted on August 15, 2018 by gorgefood

This has become my favourite curry to make, it takes a little more effort than some and a few unusual ingredients but it gives me that rich and tangy curry taste that I crave. You can use any meat but I have tried a few and I think that lamb gives it a richer flavour, if you want a quicker meal you can use chicken and skip the slow cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4
2 hours

For the paste

2 dry red chilies
1 tsp fenugreek
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves
800g chopped lamb or chicken thigh
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic – crushed
1 inch ginger – grated
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp turmeric
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 green chilli sliced in half
Splash of white wine vinegar
Knob of butter
Chopped corriander

Put all the ingredients for the paste into a dry saucepan and roast until they start getting fragrant being carefull not to burn them.

Cool and then pound into a powder with a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Put this powder into a bowl with the lemon juice and zest and the halved green chillis. and leave for 30 minutes.

In a frying pan ligthly fry the onions, garlic and ginger until soft and then add the tumeric. Cool and then blend into a paste – add a little water if it wont blend easily.

Fry the lamb pieces for a few minutes until browned on all sides then add the onion paste, curry paste, tomato puree and yoghurt and cook over a low heat for a few more minutes adding some splashes of water if you want a thinner consistency. ( If using chicken at this point you can just carry on cooking gently until the chicken is cooked through)

Season well with salt and I always add a splash of white wine vinegar to a curry to fgive it a lift. Put into an ovenproof dish, cover and cook slowly at 150 degrees, 130 fan, gas mark 2 for around an hour until the lamb is tender, if the meat is still tough when you check, leave it a bit longer. If at any time the sauce is too thick just add a splash of water.

When ready stir through a knob of butter and serve with chopped corriander and basmati rice.