Vijs Lamb Curry Recipes

HOME-STYLE LAMB CURRY

Steps:

• Put ½ the thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 quartered onions and 4 garlic cloves in a food processor with 300ml water. Blitz to a smooth purée.
• Scrape down the sides with a spoon and blitz again to make it as smooth as you can. Tip into a deep sauté pan, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins.
• Remove the lid and cook for 5 mins more, stirring occasionally. By now the liquid should be all gone. If not, cook a little longer.
• Add 2 tbsp rapeseed oil to the pan with the remaining piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks. Turn up the heat and fry, stirring, for 3-5 mins until it starts to colour.
• Stir in 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp fennel seeds, then add 750g leg of lamb. Stir-fry until the lamb changes colour.
• Tip in 400g can chopped tomatoes with a can of water and 1 deseeded and sliced red or green chilli, season well, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hr.
• Stir in the finely chopped stalks from a small bunch coriander, re-cover and cook for a final 30 mins until the lamb is tender. Add a splash of water if necessary to loosen the consistency as it cooks.
• Stir in the roughly chopped coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and mango chutney or raita.

SWEET LAMB CURRY

Steps:

• Place the flour in a plastic bag; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lamb, and shake until evenly coated with flour. Melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Stir in the onions, and cook until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, curry powder, apples, chicken stock, raisins, and browned lamb. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the lemon juice and cook 2 minutes before serving.

VIJ'S STEWED CINNAMON SCENTED GOAT OR LAMB CURRY- ADAPTED

Steps:

• Melt ghee on medium heat in a large, heavy stockpot. Add cumin seeds and sauté until they sizzle, about 45 seconds. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in ginger. After 1 minute, add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, for 5 to 10 minutes or until ghee (or oil) separates from the spices. Add another tablespoon of ghee or oil if spices are sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Add tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until ghee (or oil) separates again and glistens. Stir in yogurt and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then add water (add an extra cup of water if serving with rice). Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
• In another large, heavy frying pan, add 1/8 cup oil. On medium to high heat, sauté lamb (or goat), stirring regularly, until you notice small, thin lines of blood on the meat. Remove from the heat and transfer meat to the stew.
• Return stew to medium-low heat and cook covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until meat is cooked through. Add more water, 1/2 cup at a time, if the stew becomes dry while cooking. This should be a moist, thick curry.
• To Serve: Just before serving, remove cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir in cilantro. Ladle equal amounts of curry into each bowl.
• Pairing: Zinfandel.

MARINATED LAMB CHOPS WITH FENUGREEK CREAM CURRY

Steps:

• Cut chops from the racks of lamb and place in a large bowl. Add the wine, mustard, and salt; cover and set aside in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
• In a separate bowl, mix the cream, salt, paprika, cayenne, fenugreek flakes, and lemon juice. In a medium size heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden in color; add the turmeric, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream mixture, stir, and cook over low to medium heat for a few minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove lamb from marinade and grill the chops just before serving; they are best when served piping hot off the grill. Grill on each side for a couple minutes or until medium-rare. Remove from the heat and either pour the cream curry over the grilled chops or use the cream curry as a dipping curry for the chops.

VIJ'S LAMB CURRY

Steps:

• Oven Method Step 1: Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Step 2: Place all ingredients in a large casserole dish and mix until well combined. Step 3: Cover with a lid or aluminum foil, place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Step 4: Using a sharp knife, poke a piece of lamb to make sure it is tender. If it is still slightly tough in the centre, bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until cooked. Turn off the heat and allow lamb to rest in the oven, covered, until serving time. Stove Top Method Step 1: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan on high for 1 minute. Step 2: Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until golden. Step 3: Add asafoetida and stir for 1 minute. Step 4: Stir in garlic and sauté until golden, 1-2 minutes. Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium and stir in tomatoes. Add turmeric, mustard seeds, cayenne, paprika, cumin, cardamom and salt, stir and cook for 5 minutes, or until oil glistens on the tomatoes. Step 6: Stir in lamb, mixing until well combined. Pour in water and mix well. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 50 minutes. Step 7: Place buttermilk (or yogurt or cream) in a medium bowl. To prevent curdling, whisk about 1 cup of the hot curry into the buttermilk (or yogurt or cream), then pour the mixture into the pot of curry. Cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Step 8: Using a sharp knife, poke a piece of lamb to make sure it is tender. If it is still slightly tough in the centre, continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until tender. (It shouldn't take longer than 1-1/2 hours to cook the lamb.) Turn off the heat and allow lamb to rest on the stove, covered, until serving time. Serve with rice, naan bread, lentil curry, or even over boiled, salted potatoes.

LAMB AND TOMATO CURRY

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Cook lamb, in batches, for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned on all sides.
• With a slotted spoon, remove lamb to a plate as each batch browns, and add more oil to the saucepan as necessary.
• Wipe out the saucepan with paper towels and Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same saucepan over low heat.
• Add cumin seeds and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until seeds start to sizzle (omit this step if substituting ground cumin).
• Add garlic and ginger, then cook, stirring for 1 minute, until garlic is softened.
• Add onions, increase heat to medium-low, then cook, stirring for 7 to 10 minutes until onions are golden brown.
• Add remaining butter, then stir in ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, cloves and cinnamon.
• Increase the heat to medium, then cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until butter starts to separate from the spice mixture.
• If spices start to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add more butter or lower the heat slightly.
• Stir in yogurt, then cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter starts to separate again.
• Stir in tomatoes, water and salt, adding a little more water if the fresh tomatoes are not very juicy (at this stage the curry should be the consistency of thick soup).
• Return lamb to the saucepan, then bring curry to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to low, then simmer, covered, for about 1 hour.
• Remove lid and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, until juices have thickened slightly and lamb is tender.
• Just before serving, adjust seasoning to taste and stir in fresh coriander.

EASY LEFTOVER LAMB CURRY

Steps:

• Sprinkle lamb with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick pot or large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir lamb in the hot butter until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove meat and keep warm.
• Melt remaining butter in the same pot over medium heat and cook and stir onion until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in curry. Cook for 1 minute. Return meat; add broth and raisins. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve over rice.