Happy New Year, everybody! Welcome to 2023. We were greeted with cold, gloomy weather to start the year so I decided to make something that would warm us up. This recipe for braised lamb curry is the ultimate curry recipe. It takes a little work and time but trust me, it is so worth it. This curry’s depth of flavor comes from the vibrant spices, coconut milk, and braising the lamb. Also, my secret is that I muddle jalapeno, ginger, garlic, and cilantro to create a paste that packs a punch. This curry is very healthy and hearty because of the plentiful veggies, spices, and broth. It’s the perfect dish to battle the cold and boost your immune system. You can easily substitute any meat you like, beef chuck, goat, or whole chicken would also work beautifully in the curry. Or, make it vegetarian and add any veggies you like. The next time you have a lazy afternoon or you’re hosting dinner, try your hand at making a pot of this beautiful, flavorful, soul-warming soup and you will be stunned at how delicious homemade curry can be.
Braised Lamb Curry
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lamb diced into 2” cubes (any cut)
- 1 large onion diced 1”
- 4 large carrots diced 1”
- 2 large potatoes diced 1”
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper minced (remove seeds)
- 2 handfuls of cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger optional
- 2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 14 oz cans light coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high to high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Season your lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, sear the lamb in batches until they develop a nice brown crust on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pot.
- Lower the heat to medium and add enough oil to coat the pot. Add all of the spices from turmeric to cumin. Cook the spices until the oil becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the onions and soften for 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape up all of the delicious bits at the bottom of the pot, there’s a lot of flavor there!
- While the onions soften, create a paste from the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and ginger using either a mortar and pestle or food processor. Add salt to the paste to extract more moisture. Add the paste to the pot and mix well.
- Add the lamb back to the pot and stir everything together. Add 2 cans of coconut milk and enough water to cover everything in the pot. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium high to bring the curry to a boil.
- Once the curry starts to boil, lower the heat to low. Taste the curry and season with salt to your liking. Be careful not to over-salt at this stage because the flavors will develop over time. It’s better to add more salt later. Mix flour in about half a cup of cold water to dissolve and then add it to the curry to thicken the broth. If you like your curry thicker, dissolve more flour and add it to the pot.
- Continue simmering for at least 2 hours until the meat is very tender. Taste the curry and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve with hot bread, Naan, or basmati rice.
