Classic Lamb and Potato Curry is a combination which is a staple in my household and I guess in most Bangladeshi households. There is something about lamb and potatoes that never tires, it’s a match made in food heaven and no matter how often you eat it, it always tastes amazing. When I am cooking I always like to ask my family what vegetable they would like to eat and yes, you’ve guessed it, potato is always top of the list! I really love eating lamb now but strangely enough I was never very fond of it growing up; at my parents’ house we consumed much more chicken than lamb and I clearly remember complaining to my husband’s sister in laws after marriage that I didn’t enjoy eating meat, day in, day out! My children however really do take after their dad and all but one of them love their meat (he prefers chicken).

If you’re not fond of potatoes the basic recipe for the curry is the same, replace with any vegetable you prefer instead; spinach, cabbage, brussel sprouts and pumpkin are all good choices. If you don’t want to add vegetables that’s totally fine too, just leave them out and add 1 less onion (the more onions you use the more masala/gravy your curry will have). I often vary how I cook my lamb curry; most of the time I place all the ingredients into a pot and will cook until tender, then add spices, oil and finish off with vegetables. When I am rushed for time I like to use my pressure cooker to tenderise the meat and will separately prepare my masala (oil, onions, ginger, garlic and spices) in another pan. There is no right or wrong way, choose the method that suits you best. This curry isn’t very intense in heat (spice wise) but if your palate is not used to eating chillies/chilli powder, then leave it out. Finally, if you prefer to have a thicker (bhuna) gravy to your curry than one which has a loose liquid gravy, add less water at the final cooking stage. My children love to have gravy (shira) to drizzle over their rice so I tend to add a fair amount. A classic recipe never fails and I pray this delivers all it promises too!

Servings: 10 – 12

You will need: for Classic Lamb & Potato Curry

1kg lamb meat (approx), washed and drained
3 – 4 small onions (or use 2 large ones) peeled and chopped
2 tsp minced ginger 
2 tsp minced garlic
salt (to your taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
3 – 4 bay leaves
3 – 4 cardamoms
pinch of methi (fenugreek) seeds
oil (80 – 100ml)
1/2 – 1 tsp turmeric (add 1 tsp for more colour)
1 tsp chilli powder (use less/none if you want a very mild curry)
2 tsp mixed curry powder (I use Rajah Mixed Masala Curry Powder)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
4 – 5 medium sized potatoes
water as needed (I added 1.5 glasses of water)
4 – 5 green chillies and coriander for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Wash and drain your meat. Peel and chop 3 – 4 onions.

Place the meat, onions, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp garlic, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamoms, fenugreek seeds and salt (to your taste) in a pot and cover. Turn the flame to full and cook for 20 – 25 minutes, stir occasionally.

Gradually you will find that there will be a lot of fluid in the saucepan (top left photo), let the meat cook covered till most of this fluid has evaporated. Remember to stir the curry, stirring prevents it from burning and helps break down the onions, ginger and garlic.

Once most of the fluid has evaporated and you can see the oil/fat from the meat has separated and is bubbling around the edges of the pan, you’re ready to add the oil and spices. I normally add 3 serving spoons, the flat wooden spoon here being my measurement of oil (top right photo) but I estimate this to be about 80 – 100ml. You do need a fair amount of oil for the spices to fry well, you can’t expect to cook a decent curry without adding extra oil. Photo on the bottom left, shows you what your meat should look like before adding spices. Once you’ve added the oil proceed to add spices; add 1/2 tsp of turmeric (add 1 tsp if you want more colour)….

….1 tsp of chilli powder (use less/none if you want a mild curry, this is a medium heat curry), 2 heaped tsp mixed curry powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp ground cumin.

Mix the spices well and allow to fry over a low flame for 5 – 10 minutes to remove the raw taste. You have to be careful at this stage as the curry has very little liquid in it, so has a tendency to burn at the bottom. Make sure you stir it frequently to prevent this. I usually half cover the curry and keep my lid slightly ajar, this helps me keep an eye on the curry and I can smell if it’s starting to burn at the bottom. If your curry does brown a little add some water, approximately 1/4 glass and leave it to soften the burnt parts then scrape off with a wooden spoon, this normally doesn’t affect the taste. If however it burns REALLY badly, I suggest changing pots.

Meanwhile peel and halve 5 medium potatoes. Rinse and add to the pot, cover again and leave to simmer over a low – medium flame for a further 5 minutes. When the potatoes are half cooked (bottom right photo), you’re ready to add water. Don’t overcook the potatoes as you will boil them and don’t want them to disintegrate.

Add 1.5 glasses of cold water. After adding the water you should find that the oil from the curry rises to the top. Cover, turn the heat back up to full and allow to boil vigorously for a further 8 -10 minutes. You may add several whole chillies at this point, more for decorative purposes than flavour. Check the salt before taking the curry off the heat and adjust if necessary.

Remove from the heat, leave covered for several minutes to allow the oil to rise to the top then garnish with fresh coriander. Enjoy your lamb and potato curry with rice, pilau or a flat bread.

Bon Appétit!!

If you like the recipe please share with friends and family, also follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Leave a comment below or message me on Facebook.