Lamb Madras Curry
I reckon myself a bit of a curry snob having lived in London and Dubai, arguably in the top 5 cities in the world to have a curry. This Lamb Madras recipe is tart and tangy and next to perfect. Madras, also known as ‘British restaurant curry’ is a South Indian Curry that has a unique blend of Spices that include whole Seeds like Coriander and Fenugreek which are crushed to a powder. The Spices are cooked with tender Lamb in a spicy, tangy Tomato based sauce accented with a tart Tamarind Paste. Serve over Basmati Rice; makes for an excellent restaurant inspired family meal.
You’ll need a coffee grinder to grind your whole seeds and spices. This can also be done in a pestle and mortar, though not for the faint of heart.
Organic Ingredients, serves 4 - 6
2 Pounds Lamb Shoulder, cut up into large bite size chunks, fat removed
2 Large Onions, peeled and diced as small as you can
1 x 18.3oz/520grams Jar Crushed Tomato
1 Tbsp. Tamarind Paste dissolved in 1 Tbsp. Hot Water
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Minced Ginger
3 Tbsps. Ghee
1 Tsp. Mustard Seeds
7 Curry Leaves or Bayleaves if you can’t find
5 Whole Green Cardamom Seeds
Celtic Sea Salt, to taste
2 Tbsps. Finely chopped Cilantro, leaves only for garnish
1 or 2 Serano Chilis or similar for serving, thinly sliced
Lamb Madras Spice Mix
1 Tbsp. Corriander Seeds
1 Tbsp. Fenugreek Seeds
1 Tsp. Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 Tsp. Black Peppercorns
1 Tsp. Fennel Seeds
1 Thin piece Cinnamon Bark, broken up a few times
5 Cloves
Ground Spices to be added after grinding
1 Tbsp. Ground Turmeric
1 Tsp. Ground Paprika
1/4 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper, more if you want it hotter
If you can’t find Tamarind Paste leave it out. You could add a little Lemon Juice in its place to taste.
Method:
Start by making your fresh Lamb Madras Spice Mix. To do this you’ll have to quickly toast your Whole Spices and Seeds stove top in a dry pan on medium heat just until they release their splendiferous aromas. Let cool slightly then grind in a coffee grinder to a fine powder. Once ground, add the Turmeric, Paprika and Cayenne and mix well.
Mix the Lamb Madras Spice Mix into your Lamb Chunks and add 1 Tbsp. Celtic Sea Salt. Mix well using your hands wearing gloves not to stain your nails, and set aside to marinate at room temperature while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Use enough Spice to coat each Lamb Chunk. Set aside any remaining Spice in a jar and store for future use.
Finely chop your Onions and mince your Garlic and Ginger. Dissolve your Tamarind Paste into 1 Tbsp. Hot Water and mix well.
When you’re ready to cook place two tbsps. Ghee in a cast enamel dutch oven pot or similar and heat to high. Sear Lamb on high heat for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove, plate, and set aside.
Add 1 Tbsp. Ghee into the pot and lower the heat to medium high. Add in your Mustard Seeds. After about 10 seconds or so, when they start popping, add in your Curry or Bay Leaves and Whole Green Cardamom Seeds. Stir and cook for 20 seconds more before adding in your Onion. Saute the onion for a good 10-15 minutes until it starts to caramelize and brown. Add in Ginger and Garlic and cook for another minute stirring constantly so they don’t stick to the pan and burn. Add Tamarind to the pot and use that to deglaze your pan scraping any bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook the Tamarind out for a minute before adding the Crushed Tomato. Continue to stir well as it starts to bubble. Add a tsp. Salt. Cover and reduce heat to a very low simmer. Leave to simmer for 1.5-2 hours depending how how soft you want your Lamb, checking every thirty minutes or so and stirring. Adjust Salt to taste. Scatter Cilantro on top and stir. Fish out the Bayleaves and discard. If you’ve used Curry leaves they can stay in.
Serve with warm Basmati Rice. Garnish with Cilantro and a little fresh Chili for those who want it.
Always start with whole spices and seeds for the best resulting curry.
8 Spices, ground.
The Madras Spice Mix takes on a beautiful orange hue with the addition of Turmeric, Paprika and Cayenne.
Lamb Chunks marinated in Madras Spices.
Aromatics, the beginning of every good curry.
Tamarind Paste adds a tangy element to this dish, uplifting the Lamb and giving it depth of flavor.
Onions need to be sautéed for a good 10-15 minutes with Mustard Seeds, Whole Cardamom and Curry or Bayleaves.
Onions cooked down and starting to brown. Ginger and Garlic Added.
Tamarind Paste added with a little Water to deglaze the pot.
Tomato Added.
Seared Lamb added back into the pot.
Curry is left to cook on very low heat. As it cooks, the Lamb will release liquids so no need to add water.
2 hours later, the perfect Madras.
Served over Basmati Rice, garnished with Cilantro.