Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 ½ hours

Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

50 g butter 

3 allspice berries

3 whole cloves 

3 cardamom pods

1 stick cinnamon 

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves 

2 onions, chopped

1 kg stewing lamb/leg of lamb, cut into 5 cm pieces

15 ml (1 Tbsp) cumin powder 

15 ml (1 Tbsp) mild yellow curry powder 

5 ml (1 tsp) turmeric

2 tomatoes

1 green chilli 

30 g fresh garlic 

30 g fresh ginger, diced 

45 ml (3 Tbsp) brown sugar 

15 ml (1 Tbsp) salt  

45 ml (3 Tbsp) vinegar 

Handful chopped fresh coriander 

METHOD

Heat a large pot on medium to high heat. Once hot, add the butter, whole spices and curry leaves and lightly brown. Add onions and sauté till brown. 

Add the lamb and brown. Try and stir regularly to lock in that flavour and get a nice colour on the meat. Once the meat is nicely browned, add in your ground spices and lightly roast the spices to get the best flavour out of them. 

Use a blender to blend your tomato, chilli, garlic and ginger into a purée. 

Lower the temperature of the pot and add your tomato purée and cover with water. Slow cook your curry for 1 hour and 30 min, adding water as needed to ensure the meat stays in liquid. 

Once your meat is soft, remove the lid and let the curry sauce reduce to a nicely thickened gravy. Add sugar, salt and vinegar. Just before serving, add in your fresh coriander. 

Serve with basmati rice and a fresh sweet and sour sambal.

Thank you to Chef Ammaarah Peterson for this recipe