Lamb Curry

This dish whilst not wholly my own is an amalgam of various lamb curry recipies I have tried over the years, toasting and grinding the spices is key and if you are not prepared to do this then don't bother.
The result is amazing and well worth the effort, all other curries will pale into insignificance.

ingredients

• 2 tsp coriander seeds (to toast)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (to toast)
• 4 cardamom pods, split and seeds removed (to toast)
• 1 clove (to toast)
• 2 tbsp rape seed oil
• 6 med onions (finely sliced)
• 2 lamb shoulders (boned)
• 6 large garlic cloves (finely grated)
• 1 tbsp ginger (finely grated)
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• finely chopped chilli to suit your taste, seeds removed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• double cream to suit, i use about 250 ml
• 350 ml fresh chicken stock
• fresh coriander

 Method

Find the heaviest casserole dish you have, add 1 tbsp oil and gently heat, add the onions, stir to coat with the oil and put the lid on.

At this point you can remove the fat from the lamb and cube the meat,  take a large heavy bottomed frying pan add the remaining oil and heat, on a high heat brown / caramelise the lamb in batches and set aside.

Gently toast the spices in a small frying pan, they should darken slightly and begin release their aroma, grind to a powder stage in a pestle and mortar.
 
By now the onions should be have reached an "onion jam" state, add in the lamb.

Remove the coriander leaves from the stalks, finely chop the stalks and add to the onions along with the ground spices, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt and chilli, stir well.

Take a small amount of the chicken stock and de-glaze the pan in which you browned the lamb, add this along with the rest of the stock to the casserole, add the cream and stir.

Place a sheet of foil on top of the casserole and put the lid on,place in a pre heated oven (140C/gas mk 2) leave for one and a half to two hours, remove from the oven and stir in the finely chopped coriander leaves, return the dish to the now switched off but still hot oven and leave for ten minutes.

Serve with rice of your choice.