Punjabi lamb curry recipe

From the dhabas (small eateries along with highways in India, catering to truck drivers and motorists) to the small town restaurants strewn along the town centres and offices buildings, there are few recipes that become extremely popular and very often found on menus.

Mutton curry (made with goat meat) is one such recipe which I have swapped for lamb. This recipe is inspire by how small eateries and traditional caterers make it in North India. The idea is the mutton curry is prepared before hand but it’s the TARKA or tempering of spices that gives it its freshness and layers of flavour right before serving it!

Hope you enjoy it!

Cooks for 3-4 people

Spice level - medium

Time 1 hour and some more

Marination ingredients

1. 400 gm Boneless lamb pieces

2. 2 tbsp Yoghurt

3. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

4. 3/4 tsp Degi red chilli powder or any red chilli powder

5. 1/2 tsp Salt

Others ingredients for the sauce

1. 4 tbsp Meutral oil

2. 2-3 Medium white onions slices

3. 4-5 Cloves of garlic, 1 inch of ginger & 1 green chilly, coarsely crushed

4. Whole spices: 1 brown cardamon, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 5-6 peppercorns, 2 cloves and 1 dried red chilli (optional)

5. 1 Tomato chopped

6. 1 tsp Coriander powder

7. 500 ml Warm water

8. 1 tsp Meat masala - optional (I make my own blend but you can use store bought masala)

For TARKA or tempering

1. 1 tbsp Oil

2. ½ tsp Cumin seeds

3. 1 tsp Coriander seeds (crushed)

4. 2 Bay leaf

5. 1 Small onion, chopped finely

6. 1 tsp Ginger garlic (chilli) mince, made of 2-3 garlic cloves, and 5 g ginger and one green chilli, pounded manually

7. 1 Green chillies, chopped (optional)

8. 1 tsp Coriander powder

9. 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

10. 2-3 small Tomatoes, chopped roughly

11. Salt to taste

12. 1/2 tsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves

Garnish

7-8 Ginger julienne

Handful of fresh Coriander leaves

Sprinkle Garam masala

Method

Marinate the lamb in the ingredients list mentioned above and keep refrigerated for minimum 2 hours or overnight, for best results.

In a deep bottom pot or pan, add oil and once hot, add the whole spices listed under point 4 in the ‘other ingredients’. You may grind them into a powder if you don’t want to use them while.

Once fragrant, in a couple of minutes, add the sliced onions and cook until nice dark shade of golden brown. Add the ginger garlic chill mince and cook for a minute.

Add the marinated lamb on high heat for a few minutes until the outer covering changes colour. Add the tomato and cook until it’s mushy on medium heat.

Add the corainder powder and meat masala and mix well. Add the water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for 45 mins or until the lamb is thoroughly cooked. I occasionally use a pressure cooker at this stage. Switch off the burner.

Now, once the lamb is cooked, we make the Tarka!

Take a non-stick pan, add oil and once it’s hot, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, add the lightly crushed corainder seeds. You can add as whole seeds too. Mix well and add the chopped onion. Once it browns, (7-8 minutes) add the powders - Kashmiri red chilli and corainder. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and cook until you see oil on the sides of the pan, about 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Add the fenugreek leaves.

Add this mixture to the lamb curry!

Garnish with ginger, coriander leaves and sprinkle garam masala on it!

Serve with naan or steamed rice!