CURRY ESSENTIALS: HOW TO MAKE PRE-COOKED STEWED LAMB

Whether you go to a low-cost Indian takeaway or to an upmarket restaurant, the chefs will normally have prepared stewed red meat ahead for their curries. Cook the meat until it is good and tender, and don’t rush. By the way, this pre-cooked lamb recipe is actually a mouthwatering curry in its own right. Lamb is the most popular red meat used in curry houses, but feel free to experiment with the red meat of your choice.

Makes enough for about 10 servings

2tbsp rapeseed oil 6 cloves

5 black or 10 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed

10 black peppercorns

1tbsp each cumin and coriander seeds

5cm (2in) piece of cinnamon stick

1 medium piece of mace 3 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves, from Asian supermarkets)

2 large onions, finely chopped

½tsp sea salt 2tbsp ginger and garlic paste (see tip across the bottom of page 71)

1kg (2lb 4oz) leg of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces (keep the bone if you have it) 2tbsp mild paprika

1tsp chilli powder (optional) 1tbsp garam masala

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat until hot and beginning to bubble. Add the whole spices and the Indian bay leaves and stir for about 30 seconds, until your kitchen begins to fill with the delicious aroma of the frying spices, being careful not to burn them.

Add the onions and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for about 5 minutes before adding the salt and the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for a further minute until the onions are soft and translucent and your kitchen smells like the best curry house in the world. This only gets better!

Add the lamb leg bone (if using) to the onion mixture in the pan, along with the ground spices and the meat. Brown the meat for a couple of minutes, then pour in just enough stock or water to cover. Simmer for about 1-1½ hours until the meat is good and tender. Allow the meat and cooking sauce to cool for use in your curries.

The meat and its cooking stock (remove the bone, if using) can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. The stock is usually strained before it is added to curries. THE CURRY GUY’S TIP Double this recipe and you’ve got a nice meal for the day you cook as well as lots of tasty pre-cooked meat for curries in future. If serving as a curry, season with salt to taste.