Name: Rajasthani lamb curry (laal maas)
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 8 cloves garlic roughly chopped; 5cm piece ginger roughly chopped; 750g lamb shoulder excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces (see cook’s notes); 1½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder (see cook's notes); 10 whole dried kashmiri chillies soaked in 400ml of warm water (see cook's notes); 8 tbsp vegetable oil; 4 onion thinly sliced; chapattis or naans to serve; 3 tbsp ghee; 3 whole dried red kashmiri chillies; 3 bay leaves; 2cm piece ginger cut into slivers; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 600ml lamb stock or water; ½ tsp garam masala; coriander chopped, to serve

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8 cloves garlic
roughly chopped
5cm piece ginger
roughly chopped
750g lamb shoulder
excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces (see cook’s notes)
1½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder
(see cook's notes)
10 whole dried kashmiri chillies
soaked in 400ml of warm water (see cook's notes)
8 tbsp vegetable oil
4 onion
thinly sliced
chapattis or naans
to serve

LAAL MAAS

3 tbsp ghee
3 whole dried red kashmiri chillies
3 bay leaves
2cm piece ginger
cut into slivers
1 tbsp tomato purée
600ml lamb stock or water
½ tsp garam masala
coriander
chopped, to serve

Method

step 1
Blend the garlic, ginger and 2-3 tbsp of water to a smooth paste. Put 1 tbsp in a large mixing bowl with the lamb and chilli powder. Mix and leave to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
step 2
Blend the whole chillies to a paste with 3 tbsp of their soaking liquid.
step 3
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 45-50 minutes stirring often, until the onions brown evenly. Drain in a sieve and set aside.
step 4
Heat the ghee in a large heavy pan over a medium heat. Fry the whole dried chillies and bay leaves for a few seconds, then add the cooked onions and stir for a minute. Add the lamb and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Add the ginger slivers and the remaining garlic-ginger paste, along with the kashmiri chilli paste, and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the stock or water, season and add the lamb bones, if using. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
step 5
Add the tomato purée and simmer for a further 40-45 minutes over a medium heat with a lid on, stirring halfway through, until the sauce is rich and glossy and coats the lamb. Turn off the heat then stir in the garam masala and finish with coriander sprinkled over. Serve with chapattis or naans for soaking up the gravy.