Kashmiri Lamb Recipes

Steps:

• Place red chiles, green chiles, cumin seeds, garam masala, ginger, garlic, grated coconut, and tomatoes into a blender; pulse several times to chop, then blend into a smooth paste.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Stir the spice paste into the onion and cook and stir until the oil separates from the mixture, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in lamb pieces and salt. Cook, stirring frequently over medium-high heat, until the lamb pieces are browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
• Mix in yogurt, saffron, and blanched almonds until well combined.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick, about 1 hour.
• Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro before serving.

Steps:

• Trim the lamb chops and place them in a large saucepan with the cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamoms, salt and milk.
• Bring to the boil over a high heat.
• Lower the heat and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the milk has reduced to about half its original volume.
• At this stage, add the evaporated milk and lower the heat further.
• Simmer until the chops are cooked through and the milk has evaporated.
• While the chops are cooking, blend together the yoghurt, flour, chili powder, ginger, garam masala, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
• Remove the chops from the saucepan and discard the whole spices.
• Add the chops to the spicy yoghurt mixture.
• Heat the oil in a deep round-bottomed frying pan or wok.
• Lower the heat slightly and add the chops.
• Fry until they are golden brown, turning them once or twice as they cook.
• Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with mint sprigs and lime quarters.

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar, grind the black and green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cumin seeds and chillies to a fine powder and set aside.
• In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz together the garlic and ginger with a good splash of water to a purée. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the lamb and brown well for 8-10 mins over a high heat. Add the purée and turn the heat down to medium, stirring constantly, as the mixture begins to reduce. The purée is ready when you see clear oil in the pan, this will take 3-5 mins.
• Give the yogurt a good stir to break up any lumps, then add half of it to the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly and briskly, folding the yogurt into the lamb, for 8-10 mins until it has been fully absorbed by the meat. Repeat with the next batch of yogurt, stirring constantly as before. Once it is boiling, turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally until it has reduced by about a third. Add the reserved ground spices, the ground coriander and some seasoning.
• Cook for a few mins, stirring continuously, then cover with a lid and leave over a low heat for 1 hr 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. If the sauce looks dry, add a splash of water.
• Grind the fennel seeds to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then add to the pan with the garam masala, ground almonds and some black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then cook for 1 min. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve with naan bread, if you like.

Steps:

• Paste:.
• Soak chillies in hot water, to cover, for 5 minutes. Dry toast almonds, ground coriander, cumin and poppy seeds in pan over low heat until spices brown slightly and become aromatic. (Shake pan so spices don't burn.) Place into a food processor with garlic, ginger, onions and chillies and blend until smooth. You may need to add a little of the chile soaking water to help the blending.
• Dry toast the saffron strands in the small pan. Be careful not to burn. In a small bowl crush with the back of a spoon then add 2 tablespoons of boiling water to dissolve. Add to the paste mix and set aside.
• Curry:.
• Heat ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry cardamom pods, turmeric and paste mix and fry, stirring constantly, until ghee begins to separate from mixture.
• Stir in yoghurt, a spoonful at a time.
• Add tomatoes, garam masala and salt and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Add lamb and stir over high heat to coat with with spices.
• Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is very tender. (It should not be necessary to add any liquid). Stir occasionally to prevent spices from sticking to base of pan.
• Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and accompany with rice.