Mutton pepper fry

If you can’t get hold of mutton, this works with lamb – ask your butcher for boneless leg steaks cut into thin slices. We make our paratha in-house, but you can buy good ones in the frozen sections of Indian grocers and some supermarkets. The spice masala will make more than you need – it can be kept in an airtight container.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus 2 hrs marinating COOK 1 hr 15 mins MORE EFFORT

500g mutton or lamb leg, cut into pieces parathas, lemon wedges, fresh coriander leaves and curry leaves fried in a little oil, to serve For the marinade 5cm chunk ginger, grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp vegetable oil For the spice masala 3 dried red chillies 1 cinnamon stick

3 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp black peppercorns 2 tsp fennel seeds

1 clove

4 curry leaves

For the curry sauce 60ml vegetable oil tsp mustard seeds 8 curry leaves

3 dried red chillies

1 large red onion, diced 2cm chunk ginger, grated 1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp deggi mirch (red chilli) powder tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp ground black pepper 200g chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) 2 coriander sprigs, chopped

1 Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl with 1 tsp salt, then add the mutton and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hrs to marinate.

2 Meanwhile, put the spice masala ingredients into a cold, heavy-based frying pan and gently heat for 1-2 mins until they start to toast. Remove from the pan and allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder.

3 To make the sauce, pour the oil into a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and sizzle the mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies for 1 min, or until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the onion and fry over a medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown, around 10 mins. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 3-4 mins. Stir continuously so it doesn’t burn, add a splash of water if it sticks. Add the deggi mirch, turmeric, 1 tsp salt, the pepper and 2 tbsp spice masala and cook for 2 mins, then add 2 tbsp water and cook for 10 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes and coriander and cook for another 10 mins; add a splash of water if needed.

4 Fry the mutton with a little oil in a pan for 4-5 mins. Add the meat to the sauce along with 150ml water, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30-40 mins or until the meat is tender. Serve with the paratha, coriander, lemon wedges and curry leaves.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 482 kcals • fat 35g • saturates 9g • carbs 8g • sugars 5g • fibre 5g • protein 31g • salt 3.2g