Coriander and cashew lamb curry
Photography by Brett StevensThe combination of hara dhaniya (coriander), kaju (cashew) and paneer in this curry is a family favourite of Akash Arora, who makes the dish with chicken. It comprises three steps, each one a recipe on its own. Make it to the end of step 1 and you'll have a tikka-style starter. Continue to step 2 for a simple curry, and, if you add the cashew and paneer paste in step 3, you'll have an irresistibly creamy curry.
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
60 minutes
serves 4
Ingredients
750g lamb rump, cut into 3cm cubes
280g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (see note)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli powder (see note)
2 1/2 tsp ground coriander
4 large tomatoes, peeled,
seeded, finely chopped
40g (1/4 cup) roasted cashews, plus extra, to serve
100g paneer, (see note) crumbled
1/2 cup coriander leaves, plus extra, to serve
Chapati or other Indian flatbread, to serve
Method
To make lamb tikka, combine lamb, yoghurt, 1 tsp turmeric and half the garlic in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tbs oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Scrape excess marinade from lamb and cook, in 2 batches, turning for 3 minutes for medium–rare or until cooked to your liking. (You can serve the lamb at this stage.)
To make curry, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or until dark golden. Add 1 tsp salt, chilli powder, ground coriander and the remaining ½ tsp turmeric and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 125ml (1/2 cup) water and return lamb to pan. Simmer for 15 minutes or until lamb is tender. (You can serve the curry at this stage with basmati rice.)
To enrich the curry, process cashews, paneer and 125ml (1/2 cup) water in a food processor to a paste. Add coriander leaves and process until roughly chopped. Stir paste into curry and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Scatter with extra coriander leaves and cashews. Serve with bread.
Notes
For more information about these spices, see our article on curry essentials.
Paneer is an Indian-style cow's-milk cheese.
MasterChef - Issue 2 - June 2010
Recipe by Sophia Young
