Description
This home-style lamb curry recipe offers a rich, aromatic experience combining tender diced leg of lamb with a blend of fragrant spices and fresh coriander, simmered slowly to develop deep flavors. The curry is served traditionally with basmati rice and a side of mango chutney or cooling raita, making it a wholesome and satisfying dish perfect for family meals or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Spice Base
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
Aromatics
- Thumb-sized piece ginger (½ cut into matchsticks, the rest left whole)
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 750g leg of lamb, diced
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 red or green chilli, deseeded and sliced
- Small bunch coriander (stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped)
To Serve
- Basmati rice
- Mango chutney or raita
Instructions
- Prepare the Aromatic Puree: Place the whole piece of ginger, quartered onions, and garlic cloves in a food processor with 300ml of water. Blitz until a smooth purée forms. Scrape down the sides and blitz again to achieve a very smooth consistency.
- Simmer the Puree: Transfer the puree to a deep sauté pan, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes to mellow the flavors. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Fry the Spices and Ginger Matchsticks: Add the rapeseed oil to the pan along with the ginger matchsticks. Increase the heat and fry for 3–5 minutes, stirring continually, until the mixture starts to colour and become fragrant.
- Add Spices and Lamb: Stir in the cinnamon stick, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel seeds. Add the diced lamb and stir-fry until the lamb pieces change colour, indicating they are sealed.
- Simmer with Tomatoes and Chilli: Pour in the chopped tomatoes along with a can (400ml) of water and add the sliced chilli. Season generously with salt and cover the pan. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer gently for 1 hour, allowing the lamb to tenderize and the flavors to meld.
- Finish Cooking with Coriander Stalks: Stir in the finely chopped coriander stalks, re-cover the pan, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Add a splash of water if the curry becomes too thick to maintain a saucy consistency.
- Serve: Remove the cinnamon stick, stir through the roughly chopped coriander leaves, and serve the lamb curry hot with steamed basmati rice and a side of mango chutney or raita for contrast.
Notes
- Using a deep sauté pan helps in even cooking and prevents splashing during simmering.
- If you prefer a milder curry, reduce or omit the chilli.
- The pureeing step creates a smooth base that thickens the curry without needing extra flour or cream.
- Rapeseed oil is a neutral oil that allows the spices to shine without overpowering the dish.
- Leftover curry tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to develop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: lamb curry, home-style curry, Indian lamb recipe, slow simmered curry, easy curry recipe
