Pete's Lamb Curry

This is probably my favourite home made curry recipe.  It isn't quick to make and has more ingredients than I would normally use but it is worth the effort.  I had a curry evening at home for friends a while ago and this went down a storm.  I am planning to cook this one this afternoon as I try not to work on a Friday and then pop it in the freezer for easy week day suppers.  Why do curry and chilli always taste better after they've been frozen?  Oh and I must remember to credit Jamie Oliver with the original recipe although I have tweaked it a tad over the years.  It serves 8 and it will fill your home with the aroma of a real curry house!

Ingredients
1x hot and fragrant rub toasted.  The toasting makes all the difference (I will post the recipe for this in my next blog this afternoon)
2 tbsp butter or ghee if you have it
2x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes - the best you can get
1/2 pint water or stock
1.5 kg leg of lamb diced
1 handful of chopped mint and coriander
1/2 pint of natural yoghurt
Salt and Pepper
Lime juice to taste.

Curry Paste Ingredients
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
2 tennis ball sized red onions, peeled
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 fresh red chilies, with seeds ( I double this as I like a hot curry)
1 bunch of fresh coriander.

Method
Lightly toast the hot and fragrant rub mix in a small saucepan but don't let it burn.  Chop the curry paste ingredients roughly and add with the rub mix into a large saucepan and fry until softened.  Add the tomatoes, stock and blitz with a stick blender.  Bring it to the boil, cover with foil and simmer gently for one and a half hours to intensify the flavours.  Remove the foil and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.  This is the basic curry sauce.  At this point it can be divided in two and frozen if required.
Now fry the lamb in a little oil until golden.  I always do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan and stew the meat. Add to the curry sauce, mix together and simmer for about an hour or until tender. I like to add small new potatoes for the last 40 minutes of cooking and adding spinach leaves for the last 15 minutes works well too.  I tell my daughter that it's coriander!
Stir in the yoghurt and lime juice and sprinkle with the coriander and mint.

Heading for the kitchen.....