Maa’s Kashmiri lamb chops

SERVES 4

8-bone rack of lamb,

French-trimmed

2tbsp freshly squeezed

lime juice

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp mango powder (use sumac or lime zest if you can’t find this)

½tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1tsp freshly ground black

pepper

½tsp fenugreek seeds

Sea salt

FOR THE MARINADE

2cm piece of fresh ginger,

peeled

4 garlic cloves, peeled ½ green chilli

1tbsp mustard oil or

rapeseed oil

½tsp fennel seeds

¼tsp ground cinnamon 100ml double cream

FOR THE GUNPOWDER SPICE MIX (MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL A 250G JAR)

85g idli rice (available from

Asian supermarkets)

170g urad dal (available online or from Asian supermarkets)

2tbsp chana dal (available online or from Asian supermarkets)

7 whole dried Kashmiri

chillies

15 dried curry leaves

10g asafoetida (available online, from bigger supermarkets and Indian spice stockists, where it’s known as hing)

1 cinnamon stick

Seeds from 3 green

cardamom pods

2tsp black peppercorns

1tsp sesame seeds

A pinch of sea salt

1 First, make the marinade. Place the ginger, garlic, green chilli and oil in a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, add the other marinade ingredients; mix well.

2 Place the rack of lamb in a shallow, ovenproof dish and coat with the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for 3-4hr.

3 To make the gunpowder spice mix, set a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the idli rice, urad dal and chana dal and dry-roast for 2-3min or until the mixture turns light brown. Transfer to a plate, spread out evenly and set aside to cool. Add the chillies to the pan and dry-roast for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and cool with the toasted rice and dal. Mix in the curry leaves, spread out the mixture evenly and cool for a further 15min, then add the remaining ingredients and grind everything in a spice or coffee grinder (or pestle and mortar) to a semi-coarse powder. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 6 months.

4 In a bowl, mix the lime juice, chilli powder, mango powder, nutmeg, black pepper, fenugreek seeds and a pinch of salt. Coat the marinated lamb in the mix.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/gas mark 6. Place the lamb on a baking tray, fat side up. Roast for 15-17min if you like it rare, or leave for 4-5min longer if you prefer it less pink. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover and leave to rest for at least 10min.

6 Carve the lamb rack between the bones into chops. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a dusting of Gunpowder spice and a little pot of mint chutney on the side (see next page), as well as a dollop of radish and beetroot pickle.