Madras Curry

Name: Madras Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g lamb shoulder; 1 tbsp ghee; 80 g onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tsp fresh ginger; 6 curry leaves; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1.5 tsp hot chilli powder; 0.5 tsp ground turmeric; 0.25 tsp ground fenugreek; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp tomato purée; 100 g tinned chopped tomatoes; 150 ml water; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tbsp fresh coriander

The hot, dark red curry-house classic: lamb slow-simmered in a fried onion base with a heavy hand of chilli, coriander and cumin, sharpened at the end with tamarind. Serve with basmati rice or a chapati.

Lunch & dinner 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

110 min15 prep · 95 cookMedium448 kcalper serving

Method

In a small bowl mix 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1.5 tsp hot chilli powder, 0.5 tsp ground turmeric, 0.25 tsp ground fenugreek and 0.25 tsp black pepper with 2 tablespoons of cold water to a loose paste. Wetting the spices stops them scorching in the pan and is what gives Madras its dark, roasted colour.
Melt 1 tbsp ghee in a small heavy-based saucepan or karahi over a medium heat. Add 80 g finely chopped onion with a pinch of the salt and fry for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until soft, collapsed and a deep golden brown — take it further than you think, as the onion is the body of the sauce.
Lower the heat, add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 tsp grated ginger and 6 curry leaves and fry for 1 minute until fragrant but not coloured. Tip in the spice paste and 1 tsp tomato purée and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture darkens and the ghee begins to separate at the edges.