Lamb Curry

Lamb curry is very salivating for meat lovers served with plain rice, pulao or roti. This simple lamb curry is a very popular dish from North India cooked in a medium thick gravy with onion, ginger, garlic and other fragrant dry spices. 

Cooking lamb/goat curry is very time consuming. It tastes great when slow cooked for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours. But in our busy schedule it may not be always possible. So I pressure cook till one whistle, then let it simmer for a while and it becomes perfectly tender and delicious. Another great thing about this curry is that minimum oil was used without compromising on taste.

I bought 5 pieces of fresh young lamb shoulder chops from our local super market and butcher cut those into small pieces. Shoulder chops are not too bony and It has right amount of flesh. Leg of lamb can also be used.

Ingredients~ 
2 lb. lamb shoulder chops or leg with little fat, cut into small pieces
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 cup tomato, chopped
2 fresh red chili
1/4 cup strained yogurt
1 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp red hot chili powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2  1 inch cinnamon sticks
2 green cardamom pods
1 clove
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

Method~
Marinate overnight or at least 2 hours with yogurt, 1tbsp oil(if using mustard oil) and 1/4 tsp salt to tenderize the meat. 

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf, 1cinnamon stick and onions. Fry till they turn light golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and let it cook in a low heat for about5-6 minutes. Add ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, salt and turmeric,  chili powder and tomato. keep stirring. Now add marinated meat. Stir continuously so it doesn't stick to the pan. Cover with a lid for 15 minutes in medium-low heat stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat mixture in a pressure cooker and cook  in medium- low  heat till one whistle. Meat will be semi tender at this time.Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally(takes about 10-12 minutes.) Then transfer curry in the heavy bottom pan again or keep it in the pressure cooker. Either way is fine. Again turn on medium low-heat. Let it slow cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on stirring in every 5 minutes. Gravy will be medium thick and yellow reddish in color. Hand grind cardamom, cinnamon stick and clove together and sprinkle over curry and give it a good stir. Serve with hot rice or any Indian flat bread. Happy cooking!