Cashew nut lamb curry
This curry I have made using some of my favourite flavours from South India. The main thing that adds to this curry's delicious flavour is fresh curry leaves - you cannot leave them out! You can normally find them in your local Asian market or even supermarkets, I got this pack from sainsbury's! Please note that the use of chillis are optional, I like to have a bit of heat in my curry and also have a high tolerance for it, what I consider medium may be too hot for others. For me this curry is mild to medium. I have also tried something new with the coconut milk this time and it has worked out very well. The prep for this may seem a bit fiddly but it was totally worth it.
Firstly add 20-30 raw cashew nuts into a bowl with warm water to soak for an hour.
Spices to toast then grind:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds,
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Grind either by hand or by electric grinder once toasted and cooled. Pour into bowl and wipe grinder clean as you're going to need it again.
Rest of the ingredients:
500kg diced lamb leg,
2 medium brown onions finely sliced,
2 medium tomatoes diced,
4 green finger chillis,
4 garlic cloves crushed,
2" piece of ginger minced,
1 can of coconut milk
30 fresh curry leaves,
1 large bunch of coriander,
1 large piece of cassia bark,
2 tej patta,
2 black cardamon,
3 cloves,
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds,
Salt,
Kasuri methi,
1 tablespoon basaar,
1 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder,
1/2 teaspoon turmeric,
Garam masala,
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt,
Oil
Method
After cashews have soaked for an hour it's time to grind into a paste. Yes it's easier to do it electrically if you are lucky enough to have a grinder that can also make pastes but I use a pestle and mortar for this. It takes time but the end result is good. Just crush the nuts and add a dash of water, grind until a fine paste.
Add oil into cooking pot and heat up. Once hot add in the tej patta, cloves, mustard seeds, black cardamon, curry leaves and cassia bark and fry until fragrant. Add in the onions and cook slowly until caramelised then add in the ginger and garlic and cook out out rawness. Add all of the powdered spices in the recipe list and the spices that you ground earlier into the pan and stir, ensure heat is low so that they do not burn. Cook until oil separates. Add in the tomatoes with a splash of water and cook until that have a jam like texture and you are left with a paste bubbling in the pan. Add in the cashew paste with a dash more water and cook until oil separates. Add in the lamb and stir to sear.
Next is the interesting part. In a blender add in the coconut milk, green chillies and a large amount of fresh coriander and blend until all chunks are gone and completely mixed. Pour this mixture into the curry and stir to fully incorporate and make the sauce. Turn down low and cover, simmer for roughly 2 hours stirring occasionally to stop it from sticking. After 2 hours add salt to taste. Get a palm full of kasuri methi and crush and grind using your hands, this makes a nice powder and releases its natural oils. Add a dash of garam masala and stir. Lastly add in a spoonful of yoghurt and mix, let it cook for a further 10 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve.