Lamb Achari

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
• 1/2 tbsp panch poran
• 2 Kashmiri dried red chillies
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 1 – 2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
• 70mll (¼ cup) tomato purée
• 1 tbsp mixed powder
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 300ml (1 ¼ cups) base curry sauce
• 1 tbsp lime pickle
• 1 – 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori
• methi)
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt, to taste
• finely chopped coriander
• (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Whenthe oil is visibly hot, add the panch poran and Kashmiri chillies. The panch poran will begin to crackle as the spices release their flavour into the oil.
2. Toss in the sliced onion and fry until soft and translucent. A sprinkle of salt will help release moisture from the onion and cool down the pan.
3. Add the garlic and ginger paste and bird’s eye chillies andfry for a further 30 seconds while stirring continuously.
4. Pour in the tomato purée followed by the mixed powder, ground coriander, chilli powder and 250ml (1 cup) of the base curry sauce. It will sizzle and bubble, but don’t be tempted to stir unless it is obviously burning to the pan. Be sure to scrape any caramelized sauce from the side of the pan into the sauce for additionalflavour.
5. This is a good time to add the main ingredient of your choice. Or, you could just continue on with the recipe and add a main ingredient when you heat it back up.
6. Stir in the lime pickle and mango chutney (if using), then add the yoghurt 1 tablespoon ata time. You need to stir continuously so that the yoghurt doesn’t curdle.
7. Swirl in the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) andgaram masala and season with salt. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and garnish with the coriander (cilantro) to serve.