LAMB MADRAS

Dining out with friends at a curry house right after I moved to the UK from California, I was told how to order from the menu by spice level. A simple lamb curry would be mild. A Madras would be the same but with more chilli powder. The vindaloo would have substantially more chilli powder and the phal, dangerously hot. I love this sweetand-sour Madras. The addition of smooth mango chutney and a twist or two of lime juice makes this the perfect blend for any curry feast.

Serves 4 or more as part of a multicourse meal

3tbsp rapeseed oil

2-4 Kashmiri dried red chillies, to taste (from supermarkets)

A few green cardamom pods, lightly bruised

3tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see tip across the bottom of page 71) 2 fresh green chillies, or to taste, finely chopped

125ml (4fl oz) tomato purée

(1 part tomato paste with 3 parts water) or use passata

2tbsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

¼tsp ground turmeric

1-2tbsp chilli powder, to taste 2tbsp mixed powder (see tip across the bottom of pages 74-75) 500ml (18fl oz) base curry sauce (see tip across the bottom of pages 74-75), heated

800g (1lb 12oz) pre-cooked stewed lamb (see right), plus 250ml (9fl oz) of its cooking stock, or more base curry sauce

1-2tbsp smooth mango chutney, to taste (see page 74)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

A pinch of garam masala

Fresh chopped coriander, to garnish

Heat the oil in a pan over a mediumhigh heat until hot. Add the dried chillies and cardamom pods, and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Be sure to count the cardamom pods in and count them back out again at the end of cooking if you don’t like biting into whole spices.

Scoop in the garlic and ginger paste along with the chopped chillies. Allow them to sizzle for about 20 seconds then stir in the tomato purée followed by the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric, the chilli powder and mixed powder.

Now add 250ml (9fl oz) of the base curry sauce along with the lamb. Simmer for about 2 minutes, without stirring unless it is obviously catching on the pan, scraping back in any caramelised sauce from the sides of the pan.

Pour in the rest of the base curry sauce and the stock, and let it simmer over a high heat until it has reduced down to your preferred consistency.

To serve, stir in the mango chutney and lime juice. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste. Sprinkle with the garam masala and garnish with the chopped coriander.