900 g lamb — diced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lamb stock cubes
75 ml natural yogurt
1 lemon — juice of
225 g white basmati rice
1 rounded tbsp whole cardamom pods
75 g golden sultanas
100 g cashew nuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper — For the Marinade — 2 medium onions — peeled
– and cut into 5mm dice 1 clove garlic — peeled and crushed
2 1/2 cm fresh ginger — peeled and grated
1 rounded tsp cinnamon
1 rounded tsp garam masala
15 cardamom pods, seeds removed — lightly toasted
and crushed 1/2 rounded tsp mild chilli powder
— To Garnish — 1 medium red chilli — deseeded thin sliced
1 medium green chilli — deseeded thin sliced
A simple, fragrant, very mild curry recipe.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the lamb a few pieces at a time, until all the meat has been used up. Add another tablespoon of oil if necessary, to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan. Then put the browned lamb, along with the marinade ingredients, into a medium sized bowl. Stir well to coat thoroughly, cover with clingfilm and leave until cold. Refrigerate overnight to allow the spices to flavour the lamb.
The next day, bring 1 pint (570ml) of water to the boil in a medium-sized pan with the stock cubes. Stir to dissolve. Add the lamb and the marinade, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1 ? hours.
While the lamb is gently simmering away, mix the yogurt and lemon juice together in a small bowl, cover and put aside.
Start preparing the rice about 25-30 minutes before the lamb is cooked. Bring a medium-sized pan of salted water to the boil, add the rice and the cardamom pods and boil for about 8 minutes.
Test to see if the rice is cooked by splitting a single grain in half with your fingernail; if it has a tiny white speck in the centre it is al dente and is just right for eating.
Add the sultanas to the rice 1 minute before the end of cooking time, so that they are plump and juicy. Drain the rice in a colander. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the cashews briefly, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Transfer the rice to a bowl and remove the seeds from about half the cardamom pods for extra flavour, discarding the husks. Stir the seeds into the hot rice, along with the fried cashews. Season well and cover with foil to keep warm while you finish off the lamb.
Remove the lamb from the heat, stir in the yogurt and lemon, check the seasoning and spoon on to 4 warmed plates. Carefully spoon the hot rice on top and garnish with the red and green chilli slices.