Lamb curry

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 clove(s)
• ½ cinnamon stick(s)
• 2 cardamom pods
• 5 cm ginger root, fresh
• 2 onions, red
• 10 garlic cloves
• 2 chili peppers
• 1 bunch of coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 800 g tomatoes, chopped, from the can
• 300 ml Lamb stock
• 1 ½ kg leg of lamb
• 1 handful of mint, fresh
• 1 handful of coriander, fresh
• 300 g natural yogurt
• some salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• some lime juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

For the spice mix, lightly toast the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods in a pan over low heat, then grind or crush them into a fine powder with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/convection oven. For the curry paste, peel and roughly chop the ginger root, red onion, and garlic cloves. Wash and roughly chop the chili peppers and coriander (if you don’t like it too spicy, remove the seeds from the chili peppers), then puree them in a blender with the spice mix. Fry the mixture in butter on the stovetop in a large, ovenproof casserole dish until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 90 minutes. Then remove from the oven, remove the aluminum foil, and let it reduce slightly on the stovetop. Meanwhile, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and fry in a pan with butter until golden brown. Add the meat to the curry sauce and simmer on the stovetop for another 60 minutes, until the meat is soft and tender. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and stir in the yogurt. Finally, season with salt, pepper, and lime juice. We serve it with basmati rice or potatoes.