- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1-2 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1” cube freshly grated ginger
- ½ -1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground coriander (this is best when the seeds are freshly ground)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground red chilies
- 500-700g of cubed lamb pieces (I have used stew lamb, boneless shoulder roast or leg of lamb cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1 ( 796 mL) canned diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp plain natural yogurt
Heat the 2 tbsps of vegetable oil in a large pot on high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and fry until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and continue frying at lower heat for 2 minutes.
Next add the salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and red chilies and keep stirring and frying for a couple minutes. The mixture will be dry and this is called dry-roasting.
Add the chunks of fresh lamb and continue frying until the pieces of lamb have been evenly browned. You may have to add a Tbsp more of oil if everything is sticking to the bottom of the pan or if it is too dry.
When lamb pieces are fully browned, add the canned tomatoes and stir, allowing it to cook for a few minutes.
Add the plain yogurt and stir well. Return it to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer the lamb curry for 1 ½ hours covered, checking it every 30 minutes to stir it down.
The curry is done when the lamb pieces are tender, not chewy. If it appears too runny, you can continue simmering with the lid off. Adjust salt if necessary. When it is ready to serve, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro and stir it in.
Serve over basmati rice, warm naan bread and chutney (our favourite is Mrs. Ball’s Peach Chutney).
