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500g boneless leg of lamb
200g blanched almonds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
30g tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 green cardamom pods
8 curry leaves
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste*
(refer below)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
˝ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
20 almonds slivers, lightly toasted
Coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish
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Method:
Cut the lamb into 4-cm pieces.
Soak the almonds in warm water to cover for 10 minutes, then drain and
blend to a paste with the poppy seeds, using a blender or
mini-processor. Soak the tamarind pulp in 4 tablespoons warm
water for 20 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan, add
the whole spices and curry leaves, and sauté until the spices crackle.
Add the chopped onions and fry until softened and golden brown in
color. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring, for 2-3
minutes to lose the raw taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for
about 10 minutes. Stir in the powdered spices and cook,
stirring, for 2-3 minutes, adding a little water if needed. Add
the lamb and sauté to seal on all sides. Add salt and 200ml
water. Cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the
almond paste and tamarind liquid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until
the lamb is cooked, adding a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve sprinkled with almonds and
coriander (cilantro) sprigs.
*Ginger-garlic paste:
This is widely used in Indian recipes.
To prepare, blend equal quantities of peeled garlic and ginger with
10% of the total weight in water, using a blender or mini-processor.
The paste should be smooth and very fine. Store in a sealed
container in the fridge. If you wish to keep the ginger-garlic
paste for longer, add 5% vegetable oil and 2% lemon juice as you blend
the paste; this improves the keeping quality and lightens the color of
the paste. You can always freeze ginger-garlic paste in an
ice-cube tray for future use.
Traditionally, this preparation takes
its flavor from vadagam - a powdered, sun-dried blend of lentils and
spices, which is tedious to make at home. Some Asian grocers
stock it, but for this recipe I have simplified the flavors and used
whole spices - it works well.
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