Lamb curry with chana dal
2 HOURS 45 MINUTES SERVES 6-8 | EASY | GF
chana dal (split chickpeas) 200g onions 4 large, 1 roughly chopped,
3 thinly sliced garlic cloves chopped to make 2 tbsp ginger chopped to make 2 tbsp ghee, clarified butter or extra-virgin olive oil 4 tbsp boneless lamb leg 1kg, cut into cubes ground coriander 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tbsp cloves 4, crushed black peppercorns ground to make Ω tsp cayenne Ω tsp lime 1, juiced to make 2 tbsp coriander leaves roughly chopped to make 2 tbsp
• Soak the chana dal in plenty of cold water for 1 hour.
• Whizz the roughly chopped onion in a blender or small food processor with the garlic, ginger and 125ml of water until completely smooth.
• Heat the ghee or oil in a pan or casserole over a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the sliced onions for 25-30 minutes or until they turn dark brown. Scoop out the onions to a platter lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess fat.
• Pat the lamb pieces dry with kitchen paper, season with a little salt, then fry them, in batches, in the left-over fat over a mediumhigh heat for 4-5 minutes, searing until well browned. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the lamb out onto a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the onion purée for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground coriander, garam masala, cloves, peppercorns and cayenne, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the fat starts to separate and a thick paste forms. Drain the dal and add them to the pan, followed by the browned meat and any juices. Add 500ml of water, raise the heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover with a heavy lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the browned onions, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. The meat should be meltingly tender – if not, give it another 20-30 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and season. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice, flatbreads or naans and a little yogurt.
PER SERVING 455 KCALS | FAT 23.8G SATURATES 11.5G | CARBS 26.6G | SUGARS 7.7G FIBRE 3G | PROTEIN 32.2G | SALT 0.2G