1,000 Indian Recipes (252 page)

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and saffron and allow to steep until needed. Then, heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and stir-fry the red chile peppers, cinnamon, black peppercorns, green and black cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves, and cumin seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then add the paste to the wok or pan, along with the lamb, coriander, and salt, and cook, stirring until golden, about 10 minutes.

3.
Add the water and cook over high heat the first 5 minutes, then cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb chops are tender and the sauce almost clings to the them, about 40 minutes.

4.
Mix in the garam masala, mace, and nutmeg, and cook about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish, add the saffron-yogurt, and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Sprinkle the green chile pepper and cilantro on top and serve.

Lamb Curry with Pickling Spices

Achaari Gosht

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Achaar
is the Hindi word for pickles signaling the flavors in every mouthful of this intoxicating North Indian curry. Serve with a rice dish and Indian breads.

2 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1 tablespoon
Bengali 5-Spices
(or store-bought)

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (see
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon ground black cardamom seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil (or 1 tablespoon each)

2 large onions, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

3 to 4 cups water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the 5-spice mix. Place the lamb pieces in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, fennel, fenugreek, cardamom seeds, turmeric, and salt and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the panch-phoran; they should sizzle on contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onions and asafoetida, then add the lamb and stir until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until most of the juices evaporate, about 7 minutes.

3.
Mix in the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, until it is fully absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the lamb is fork-tender and the thick sauce clings to the pieces, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala and cilantro on top, and serve.

Marinated Lamb Shanks Curry with Potatoes

Gosht-Aalu ki Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Possibly India's answer to "meat and potatoes," this is another popular way in which lamb is prepared in north India. Growing up, we had this spicy dish frequently for Saturday lunches, only my mother used goat meat. I use baby lamb shanks because they are tender to start with, and smaller in size.

This dish has a somewhat thin sauce that goes well with rice
pullaos
(pilafs). Cook longer to reduce it, if you prefer a thicker sauce.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

2 to 2
¹
⁄
₂
pounds baby lamb shanks (4 to 6 ounces each), all visible fat trimmed

4 to 5 small russet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and halved

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 teaspoons garam masala +
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon for garnish

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika or cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then, place the lamb shanks and potatoes in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, 2 teaspoons garam masala, turmeric, and salt and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until well-browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and green chile peppers and cook, stirring, until most of juices evaporate, about 7 minutes.

3.
Add the coriander, cumin, and paprika (or cayenne pepper), stir 1 minute then mix in the marinated meat and potatoes, plus all the marinade, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce is as thin or thick as you desire, about 40 minutes, adding
¹
⁄
₂
to 1 cup of water, if needed.

4.
Mix in the fenugreek leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala and mint leaves on top, and serve hot.

Rita's Mutton Curry

Rita ki Gosht Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

My sister-in-law Rita Sawhney's prized mutton curry is a favorite in our family. It's got equal amounts of onion and meat (by weight), and lots of tomatoes and spices. The pieces of meat are first roasted in the
masala
, then braised in yogurt until they are meltingly soft and the sauce is incredibly flavorful. If you've never eaten mutton (goat meat in India), this is the recipe to start with.

You can buy mutton at special Indian or Middle Eastern meat shops, or ask your butcher to order it. If you have difficulty finding it, by all means, use lamb or even beef.

2 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1 tablespoon
Mughlai Garam Masala with Nutmeg and Mace
or
Kashmiri Garam Masala

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil

4 large onions (about 2 pounds), finely chopped

3 large tomatoes (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds), finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground paprika

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 pound leg of goat or lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

1 pound mutton rib chops, all visible fat trimmed

¹
⁄
₂
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 tablespoon ground dried fenugreek leaves

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the Mughlai or Kashmiri garam masala. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions until well-browned, about 20 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste, stir about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and cook until most of the juices evaporate, about 15 minutes.

2.
Add the coriander, Mughlai or Kashmiri garam masala, paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and salt and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the meat and cook, stirring, until it is well-browned and almost soft, 25 to 30 minutes.