Lamb Curry

Lamb Curry

Don’t be put off by all the ingredients, it looks lot but it’s mostly herbs and spices

For the stew
3 tbsp vegetable oil
500g lean diced lamb, cleaned and fat trimmed
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
4cm/1½in piece root ginger, peeled
Pinch of salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼-½ tsp red chilli powder
3 tomatoes, blended to a purée in a food processor or you can use tin tomatoes for this
1 Green Chilli with seeds for a little extra kick
300ml/½ pint water
400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
1-2 tsp lemon juice, to taste
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
250g/8oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the dumplings
100g/3½oz chapatti flour (or wholemeal flour)
45g/1½oz gram flour (chickpea flour)
2 tbsp chopped dried fenugreek leaves
1½ tsp freshly grated ginger
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp sugar
Pinch ground turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 tsp baking powder

To serve
One handful chopped fresh coriander
1¼ tsp garam masala

Method
Add the lamb and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Add the mustard seeds to the same pan and fry for 30 seconds, or until the seeds start to pop.

Add the onion and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the garlic and ginger to a paste, adding a splash of water to bind the mixture. Add the garlic and ginger paste to the fried onions and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the water has evaporated from the paste and it has turned golden-brown. Add the salt, sugar, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric and red chilli powder and cook for a further 20-30 seconds. Add the puréed tomatoes and 100ml/3½fl oz of the water, stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring well, or until the volume of liquid has completely reduced and the sauce has almost dried out.

Meanwhile, for the fenugreek dumplings, mix all of the fenugreek dumplings ingredients together in a bowl until well combined, then bring the mixture together to form a semi-soft dough. Using your hands, roll the mixture into three sausage shapes, then pinch off six pieces from each sausage. Roll the pieces into smooth balls. Set aside. When the sauce has reduced, add the coconut milk, lemon juice and the rest of the water. Continue to simmer for five minutes.

Add the sweet potato to the stew and bring back to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and after six minutes, add the dumplings. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to simmer for 6-7 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Add the reserved lamb and the chickpeas to the pan. Stir in the fresh coriander and garam masala just before serving.