Nepalese Lamb and Beetroot Curry

We love this Nepalese twist on a classic lamb curry. Slow cooking with bold beetroot and fragrant, lemony Sichuan peppercorns will make for a tasty talking point.

Hands-on time 30min, plus marinating. Cooking time about 2hr 15min Serves 4-6

1tbsp vegetable oil 800g (1lb 12oz) lamb neck, fat trimmed and cut into 4cm (1½inch) chunks 500g (1lb 2oz) bunch beetroot, peeled, halved and cut into 2cm (¾in) half moons 300ml (½ pint) chicken or vegetable stock 4 cloves 6 green cardamom pods, bashed for the marinade 2tsp cumin seeds 1½tsp Sichuan peppercorns 1tsp ground coriander 1tsp ground fenugreek 1tsp fennel seeds 200g (7oz) natural yogurt 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2tbsp tomato purée 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped 4cm (1½in) piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1-2 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped 1tsp ground turmeric for the mint sauce 25g (1oz) each mint and coriander leaves 2tbsp natural yogurt 2tbsp lime juice 1tsp caster sugar ½ a green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped (keep the seeds in, if you prefer) 1 small garlic clove, crushed

1 To make the marinade, put the cumin seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, coriander, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1-2min, until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, and grind until fine. Tip into a food processor with the remaining marinade ingredients, except the turmeric (this can stain the plastic) and whizz until smooth.

2 Spoon the marinade into a large bowl with the turmeric and lamb. Mix well and then leave to marinate for at least 1hr, or covered overnight in

the fridge, if you have enough time.

3 Shake off any excess marinade into the bowl, then heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole over a high heat and brown the lamb pieces in batches, until golden brown all over. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Drain off any excess fat left in the pan.

4 Add the remaining marinade to the pan and stir well, making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan as these will add to the flavour. Return the browned lamb pieces to the pan with the beetroot, stock, cloves and cardamom; season generously. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat and cover and cook for 1hr

30min until almost tender. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 1hr-1hr 15min, until the sauce begins to thicken. The lamb should be tender and the beetroot cooked through.

5 Meanwhile, make the mint sauce. Put all the ingredients into a small food processor with a generous pinch of salt and 4tbsp water and blitz until very finely chopped. Set aside.

6 Taste and adjust seasoning, then remove cloves and cardamom before serving with the mint sauce and your choice of sides.

PER SERVING (for 4) 558cals, 47g protein, 32g fat (14g saturates), 19g carbs (17g total sugars), 5g fibre