LAMB MADRAS GOLD MEDAL RECIPE

You won't believe you can cook a curry as good as this...Well thats what I thought, I have finally mastered a set of recipes for the most awesome currys and have tested them so many times my family groan if I say Curry for Sunday Lunch!!!  Not something that used to happen!

I toast and grind up my spices every week to keep them fresh and to hand when ever I need them, double up the recipes and keep the extra spice mixes in a ball mason jar so they are ready to go next time, making your own does make a big difference in the quality of the flavour of the curry, but I appreciate the overwhelming list of ingredients, store bought curry powders will still do the job.

Cooking & Prep time 30 minutes / Oven Cooking time3hrs in the oven 

This recipe is a two pan cook at the same time

Ingredients 

(Serves 4)

Stage 1 Curry

1 tbsp ghee

4 lamb shanks

1 onion finely sliced

3 cloves garlic grated

2 tbsp ginger grated

10 cardamom pods bashed

1 tbsp cumin seeds lightly toasted

1 tbsp corinader seeds lightly toasted

1 tsp turmeric 

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

100g tomato puree

1/2 cup of water

Stage 2 Curry Sauce

2 tsp fenugreek

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp corinader seeds

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp madras curry powder

1 tbsp ghee

2 onions diced

3 garlic cloves chopped

3 tbsp ginger grated

2 tbsp diced carrot

6 tomatoes diced

1 red pepper diced

500ml - 1 ltr  water

1/2 juice lemon

1/2 small bunch fresh coriander chopped 

Place two pans on the cooker, (stage 1 and stage 2 pans), stage 1 pan needs to have a lid and to be oven proof, bring both pans to a medium hot heat, in Stage 1 Pan add one tbsp of ghee and sear the lamb shanks until brown all over, then turn the heat down to medium, add the rest of the stage one ingredients except the water and tomato puree, soften for around five minutes, then add the water and tomato puree, meanwhile at the same time in Stage 2 Pan...

Stage 2 Pan heat medium hot place the fenugreek, cumin and coriander seeds, lightly warm through then remove and grind with a coffee grinder or in a pestle and mortar, the fenugreek will not grind all the way down, not a problem.  Place the ground spices in a bowl with the dry powder spices, paprika, turmeric and half the garam masala and the curry powder.  Mix evenly.  Place 1 tbsp ghee in the stage 2 pan and add the onions gently soften for around five minutes then add the garlic, ginger, red pepper and carrot and soften for a further 10 minutes, add the diced tomatoes then add half of the toasted spice mix you made earlier stir in then add the water, usually 500ml makes a loose sauce but add more if the sauce is too thick, bring to a rolling simmer and cook for 10 minutes, then using a stick blender or food processor blitz the sauce smooth.  Now add this to Stage 1 Pan, stir in well covering all the lamb shanks.

Place the lamb shanks in the oven with a lid on and leave to cook for around 3 hours until the sauce has thickened and the lamb is falling off the bone, finish off the curry with the lemon juice, remaining tsp of garam masala and fresh coriander.