Lamb Methi
Ingredients
· 1 large onion, sliced
· 1 green chilli finely diced
· 2cm3 piece of fresh ginger finely diced or grated
· 10 tomatoes
· 4 cardamom pods crushed
· 2 cinnamon sticks
· 4 bay leaves
· 2 curry leaves
· 500g cubes of lamb shoulder
· 1 tsp each of chilli powder, garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric
· 1 tbsp runny honey
· 2 tsp tomato puree
· 1 whole bag fresh spinach sliced
· 30g butter
· 5 tbsp ground fenugreek
· Salt and pepper
· 50ml single cream
Method
1. Begin by preheating an oven to 120C. This might sound low, but the lamb needs to be cooked long and slow to ensure it is soft.
2. To an ovenproof dish, in which the oil has been preheated over a medium heat on the hob, add the onion, chilli, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and the bay and curry leaves. Fry these over a medium heat until the onion begins to turn translucent.
3. Now add the tomatoes, roughly chopped, and leave to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have begun to break down.
4. Increase the heat to high and add half the butter. Once the butter is foaming add the lamb and seal on all sides. This will take approximately 5 minutes but ensure the temperature is high the entire time.
5. Once the meat is coloured reduce the heat back down to a medium heat and add the ground spices, honey, tomato puree, and the spinach, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Add half the ground fenugreek and then add approximately 500ml of water, or enough to cover the meat completely. Cover the pan with a lid, or use foil if this isn’t possible, and increase the heat until the mixture is boiling. Once boiling place the dish in the oven and cook for 3 hours, checking that the mixture does not dry out and adding water should this happen.
7. After 3 hours the meat should be tender, and the curry is ready to finish off on the hob. Take the pan back out of the oven and place on a medium heat on the hob. Add the remaining fenugreek along with the remaining butter and the cream. Season with salt and pepper and then simply cook the curry until the desired consistency has been reached. It will be very wet when it goes in the oven but simply simmer away on the hob if this is still the case when it comes out.
8. Serve with rice.
