Lamb Korma with Chapatis

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp coriander
• ⅛ tsp cardamom, ground
• ½ tsp cumin, white
• ½ tsp fenugreek
• e.g. saffron (one sachet), threads or ground
• 4 carnations
• ½ stalk(s) cinnamon (alternatively cassia bark)
• 4 tbsp coriander leaves, fresh or dried
• ½ tsp galangal, fresh or dried, whole
• 500 g yogurt (3.5%), rather sour, no Greek
• 1 small can of tomatoes, diced
• 2 tbsp salt
• 5 peppercorns, black
• 4 red chili peppers, dried, stems and seeds removed
• 1 ginger, approx. 4 cm
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 m.-sized onion(s) (can also be large)
• 5 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
• 200 ml water
• 50 g cashew nuts, unsalted
• 500 g flour (atta flour, available from Turkish or Indian shops or Asian stores)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 300 ml water
• 2 tbsp ghee, liquid
• 4 tbsp poppy seeds, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Indian lamb

Roast the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and peppercorns in a dry pan until they smell strongly. Then transfer the ingredients to a large blender – grind them in a mortar and pestle first if necessary. Add the garlic, white poppy seeds, chili pepper, galangal, water, cloves, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, 1-2 tablespoons of salt, and cashew nuts to the blender and blend on high for a few minutes until you have a thin paste. Occasionally scrape the unblended portion back into the blender with a spatula and add more water if necessary. In the meantime, trim the meat, remove any tendons and skin, and marinate in the paste for about 2 hours. Peel and finely chop or slice the onions, and fry them with the 5 tablespoons of ghee over high heat. Add the meat along with the marinade or spice paste. Add the coriander leaves, yogurt, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. While the lamb korma is simmering, knead the dough for the chapatis from 250-300 ml water, atta flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 tablespoons liquid ghee. Roll one or two sausages approximately 3 cm thick from the dough and cut them into approximately 3 cm long pieces. Then, using a rolling pin, form the approximately 3 x 3 x 3 cm pieces into flat cakes. These are then briefly fried in a dry, non-stick pan over high heat for 20-40 seconds on each side. Then, add a teaspoon of ghee and swirl it around so that all the cakes absorb it and “pop” in the pan. Remove the cakes from the pan and set aside until all (approximately 20-40) are ready. Serve the cakes hot with the korma. If desired, you can also cook rice (e.g., Basmati rice) with 1-2 cardamom pods or a pinch of black cumin (not nigella!) as an additional side dish. Note: This may not be a “traditional” preparation method, but it’s quite simple and tastes delicious! In any case, you should avoid using too much cardamom and opt for a more acidic yogurt. This makes 4 generous servings.