A traditional Lamb Curry with a fresh twist

Jan Kohler shares her take on Lamb Curry sure to keep you warm during the winter months

Lamb Curry with Minted Yoghurt Raita

Serves 10

This is one of those dishes that is easy to cook up for a large crowd. What comes to mind when I think of curry is a winter party that brings everyone inside after sundown – to huddle, chat and eat around the fire. Curry makes great bowl food, so it’s easy to serve without formal seating. This particular curry mix is made up of an assortment of spices, which requires a little planning and resourcefulness, but the beautifully fragrant result is worth the effort.

Here’s what goes in:

1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon of garlic, crushed

1.5kg of lamb knuckle

1 tin of good quality, plum tomatoes (400g)

2 heaped teaspoons of ginger, crushed

1 teaspoon of chilli, crushed

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

4 cups of chicken stock (1 litre)

For the seasoning mix:

1 tablespoon of coriander seeds

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of caraway

1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

1 teaspoon of fenugreek

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 clove

For the minted yoghurt raita:

A handful of fresh mint, chopped

Half a cup of cucumber, peeled and grated

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

500g double cream plain yoghurt

How to do it:

Preheat your oven to 160°C. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the dry spices together to make the seasoning mix. In a heavy-based, oven-proof pot, fry the garlic and onions until soft and transparent. Season the lamb with salt, then brown it in the pot with Worcestershire sauce and the seasoning mix, ensuring the lamb is evenly coated in all the spices. Add the tomato, ginger and chilli and allow to simmer. Now, add the chicken stock until the liquid fully covers the meat and you have a good, saucy consistency. Place the lid on it and pop it into the oven for four to five hours. Stir the curry and check the liquid level every hour, as you don’t want it to dry out. If it needs more liquid, top it up with one cup of chicken stock at a time. In the meantime, prepare the raita. De-stalk and chop the mint and coriander leaves and mix this in with the yoghurt, cucumber and cumin seeds. Once the curry is cooked, serve with steamed basmati rice, a handful of shredded coriander and a side of minted yoghurt raita.