Delicious and aromatic, this lamb curry is sure to impress and satisfy your taste buds. Made with fragrant spices, tender lamb, yogurt, and creamy ground almonds, it's the ideal comfort food to warm you up on a chilly evening. You won't believe how easy it is to make this restaurant-style curry at home.
Easy Lamb Curry
This lamb curry recipe is similar to my chicken curry recipe, but it uses ground almond paste to give it a rich taste, nutty flavor, and creamy consistency, as opposed to coconut milk. You can also use ground coconut instead of almond paste, just like my mother used to make it-and it's equally delicious, as in this Aloo Gosht. But I think the richness of almonds pairs very well with lamb.
Like the chicken curry, this recipe also uses whole spices and doesn't require blending onions or spices, making it a lot easier to prepare while still giving restaurant-style results. It's perfect for when you want an elegant Indian dinner without too much fuss.
The curry is rich and comforting, thanks to the combination of yogurt and ground almonds that make the sauce creamy. The complex aromas of the spices balance beautifully with the richness of the sauce.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Lamb: I use a mix of boneless chunks from the shoulder or leg, along with some bone-in lamb chops. This combination is more flavorful and gives a variety of pieces. Trim the fat and pat dry the meat with paper towels.
- Yogurt: Choose plain, full-fat or reduced-fat yogurt with medium thickness. Avoid Greek yogurt. Substitute it with thick coconut milk.
- Onions: Yellow onions have good flavor and works best. Slice them thinly, as they need to be fried well.
- Ginger and Garlic: Use fresh ground or grated ginger and garlic for best results. You can make fresh ginger garlic paste by blending equal parts ginger and garlic with water until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Store in a glass jar in the fridge or freeze in ice cube trays for later.
- Whole Spices: Split the cardamom pods slightly to allow the seeds to infuse the sauce. Cloves add a hint of spiciness, cinnamon adds a sweet aroma and bay leaves lend a herbal note. Star anise adds a subtle licorice flavor but it's optional.
- Kashmiri Chili Powder: I usually prefer this for the vibrant red color but mild heat. If using regular chili powder, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste.
- Chili Peppers: I use green chilies from the Indian grocery store. Jalapeños are milder and serrano peppers are more pungent. To reduce heat, split the chilies and remove the seeds.
- Blanched Almonds (or Cashews): Soak and grind the nuts into a very fine paste. Substitute with ½ cup unsweetened dried coconut, ground into a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use tomato paste, but it will give the curry a different flavor. Both nut paste and tomato paste help thicken the sauce and add a creamy consistency.
- Water: I start with 1½ cups of water, as I use a self-saucing pot. Adjust the amount of water if you use a wider pot or Dutch oven that condenses steam. Start with less water and add more as needed. Keep in mind, the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Step by Step Visual Overview
Here is an overview of how to make a lamb curry. Full printable recipe with measurements is at the end of post.
Making this aromatic curry involves just three steps. The key is slow-cooking the lamb in a rich sauce infused with whole spices (use ground spices if you prefer not to use whole spices).
Prepare the Meat
- Gather all the ingredients. Clean the lamb, trim excess fat, and pat dry using paper towels.
Cook Spices, Aromatics and Lamb
- Spices: Heat oil, add the whole spices and toast until fragrant. Whole spices are easy to use since you don't have to grind them. It also gives a more traditional and subtle taste.
- Onions: Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown and crisp. Fry the onions really well so that they cook into the sauce giving it consistency and flavor.
- Lamb: Add the lamb pieces and brown them on all sides at high heat to develop rich flavor (this is the Maillard reaction in action).
- Aromatics: Add ginger, garlic and cook until the raw flavor disappears and becomes aromatic. Stir in the ground spices and salt.
Make the Rich Sauce
- Enrich Sauce: Add chilies, ground almond paste, and yogurt to the pot. Stir and cook until the oil starts to separate on the surface.
- Cook: Add bay leaves. Pour some water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the lamb is very tender and the sauce is thick.
Garnish and Serve
- Final Touches: Stir in garam masala and some chopped cilantro. Adjust the seasonings as per taste. Turn off the heat and remove any excess oil from the surface. Top with more cilantro and ghee if you prefer. Serve the lamb curry hot with rice or bread.
How To Serve
- With Basmati Rice: Lamb curry and basmati rice makes a great comfort meal.
- Indian Flatbreads: Soft naan or flaky paratha will be amazing with this creamy and rich lamb curry.
- Vegetable Sides: Add some vegetable sides such as a spicy eggplant side dish or kachumber (Indian salad).
Variations
Lamb curry is high in protein, low in carbs, gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and grain-free. Here are some variations you can try.
- Other Vegetables: Add some Yukon gold or red potatoes. Bell peppers will add a wonderful flavor.
- Nut-Free: Substitute almonds with dried coconut.
- Dairy free curry: Use coconut milk and/or cream instead of dairy yogurt. Skip the ghee.
- Flavor twist: Garnish with chopped mint leaves for a different flavor.
More Lamb Recipes
- Bhuna Gosht (Pan Roasted Meat)
- Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani
- Kotlet (Persian Meat Patties)
- Hyderabadi Haleem Recipe
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Lamb Curry
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 6 green cardamom pods cracked open slightly
- 1 black cardamom cracked open slightly
- 5 cloves
- 3 inches cinnamon stick
- ½ star anise optional
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced, 350g
- 2 lbs lamb cut into medium stew pieces, mix of boneless chunks from shoulder or leg and bone-in chops, fat removed, cleaned and pat dry
- 1½ tablespoons ginger paste or 1½ inches grated ginger
- 1½ tablespoons garlic paste or 8 grated cloves
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 green chilies or Serrano or jalapeño pepper, remove seeds to lower heat
- ⅓ cup blanched almonds or cashews, soaked and ground to paste, or ½ cup unsweetened dried coconut (ground to powder), optional
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups water start with 1½ cups and increase as needed
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Garnish
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (or combine ground cardamom, cloves, cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- ½ tablespoon Ghee optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat: In a large cooking pot, heat olive oil over medium-high.
- Spices: Add green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and star anise (if using) to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Tip: If you don't like whole spices, grind them into a powder, and use half the spices.
- Onions: Add thinly sliced onions and sauté until golden brown and crisp on the edges, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Brown Meat: Add lamb pieces to the pot, stir well, and cook until the lamb is browned on all sides, about 3 minutes.
- Aromatics: Add ginger paste, garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, ground coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, garam masala, and salt to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Make Sauce: Add green chilies, ground almond paste (if using), and plain yogurt to the pot. Combine everything and cook for 3 minutes, stirring in between. Evaporate excess water and the oil will start to trickle to surface.
- Simmer: Add bay leaves, water, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and let it simmer over low heat until the lamb is fork tender, cooked through, and the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour 30 minutes. If the curry looks too dry, you can add a little bit of water to the pot.
- Final Touches: Once the lamb is falling off the bone, stir in half of the cilantro. Remove the pot from heat and garnish with remaining cilantro. If you prefer, add additional garnishes - garam masala, kasuri methi and ghee. Serve hot with rice or flatbreads.
Notes
- Oil: I recommend using 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil for sautéing the onions adequately. But you can remove one tablespoon (or more) of oil at the end of cooking the curry when the oil surfaces on top. This will help lighten up the dish while still allowing to use the oil for cooking.
- Kashmiri Chili Powder: This is milder than regular chili powder and has a vibrant red color. If you don't have any on hand, use a mix of ⅔ cayenne pepper and ⅓ paprika.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare lamb and marinate with ginger and garlic. Slice onions; grind almonds, ginger, and garlic. Store in refrigerator.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding water to adjust the consistency. The curry freezes very well. Pack in small freezer safe containers. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutriton Notes
Lamb is a rich source of high-quality protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. It is lower in total fat, contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and offers a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio compared to grain-fed lamb meat.
However, it is recommended to include red meats in moderation in your diet. Use grass-fed lamb meat when possible, trim off the fat, and skim excess oil from the surface of the curry. For a healthier meal, pair it with whole wheat naan, brown rice or quinoa along with lots of vegetable sides.
Leave a Comment