MIL's cooking!

My in-laws are vacationing over but will be going back to Calcutta by the end of next week. I am surely going to miss MIL’s (Mom-in-law) awesome cooking! She is a fantastic cook and is like a fairy in the kitchen! If there is one thing we can really bond over, it is the love of food and cooking!

Last night she made an out of this world, melt in your mouth Mughlai lamb curry!  She made it all from scratch and didn’t follow a recipe so I have made it my quest to replicate it sometime soon. So, I sat on the sofa and quizzed her on the ingredients and the “how-do-you-do-it” specifics ….almost like Barbara Walters interviewing Martha Stewart! J

Here it goes…..

Mughlai Lamb Curry

1 kg lamb shoulder, cut into cubes

400 gms. plain yogurt, liquid drained

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

4 tbsps mustard oil

½  tsp. Chili powder

¼ c. olive oil

½ c. onion paste (chop 5 big onions then put in a blender to make onion paste)

1 big tomato, chopped

2 tsps  cumin seeds, roasted then ground into powder (you can also use ground cumin seed powder but make sure you dry roast in a pan)

1 tsp coriander powder, dry roasted as well

½  tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder, dry roasted (A typical Indian version of garam masala contains: black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, black and white cumin seeds, black, brown, and green cardamom pods). The word garam means hot but actually refers to intensity of the spices rather than capsaicin content.

1 tsp sea salt (add more as per your taste)

Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Directions:

Marinate first 6 ingredients together for at least 2 hrs, overnight is best.

Heat olive oil for 1 minute, add onion paste and fry for 2 minutes then add the remaining ground spices. After 1 minute, add the marinated lamb including marinade, turn often whilst frying so it doesn’t burn. After 2 minutes of stirring, add the chopped tomato. Stir for 3 minutes – this recipe is a good workout for your arms J

Add the salt, stir then cover. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 -1 ½ hrs till lamb is tender and yogurt gravy thickens.

Serve with hot, steaming basmati rice!