Roghan josh

Lamb in spices and yoghurt

Quantity	Ingredient
3	dried red chillies, seeded
6-8	garlic cloves
1 tablespoon	fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons	desiccated coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons	almonds, blanched
1 tablespoon	ground coriander
1 teaspoon	ground cumin
1 teaspoon	poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon	ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon	ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon	ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon	ground mace
1/2 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons	ghee or oil
1	onion, finely chopped
4	cardamom pods, bruised
1/2 teaspoon	ground turmeric
125g	plain yoghurt
2	ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon	salt
750g	lean boned leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 5 cm cubes
1 teaspoon	Garam masala
2 tablespoons	fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Soak the chillies in 125 ml hot water for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.
Put the garlic, ginger, coconut, almonds and chilli in a food processor with the reserved soaking liquid and process to make a smooth paste.
Put the ground coriander, cumin, poppy seeds and fennel in a small frying pan and shake over low heat for a few minutes until the spices become aromatic. Add to the chilli paste and continue to process until well combined and smooth. Remove from the food processor container to a bowl and stir through the cardamom, cloves, mace and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden brown. Add the cardamom pods, turmeric and chilli paste and cook until the ghee starts to separate from the spices. Add the yoghurt, a spoonful at a time, and stir to combine. Add the tomato and salt, and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the lamb and cook over high heat, stirring and turning the meat so that each piece is well coated. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 hour or longer — the lamb should be very tender and the liquid almost absorbed. Stir occasionally to ensure that the spices don’t stick to the base of the pan.
Sprinkle the garam masala over the top, replace the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves and serve immediately with plain rice or a pilau.