Madras curry is an Indian restaurant, and an English pub, staple and it’s pretty easy to make at home! The recipe itself is pretty straight forward but it does require a few spices to make the madras curry powder, though you could use a store bought madras curry powder. Toasting the coriander seeds and cumin seeds helps to bring out their flavors and aromatics but you could skip the toasting or use pre-ground versions. You can use pretty much any meat in a madras curry and I particularly enjoy lamb or beef! You start out by browning the meat in a pan before cooking the onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder in oil. The sauce is made with crushed tomatoes and coconut milk and the meat is simmered in it until melt in your mouth tender. Tamarind and lemon juice add a nice aspect of fruity sourness and the whole thing is finished off with fresh cilantro!
Lamb Madras
A tasty homemade madras lamb curry with a blend of warm spices!
ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 star anise
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 pounds lamb leg (or stewing beef), trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 1-2 birds eye chilies, finely chopped
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
For the curry powder:
For the curry:
directions
- Optionally toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, before grinding them, along with the peppercorns and fenugreek seeds, in a spice grinder.
- Mix everything!
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the lamb and brown on all sides, before setting aside and draining off all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the pan.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and 2 tablespoons of the curry spices and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the lamb back to the pan along with the tomatoes, coconut milk, tamarind paste and bay leaves, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the lamb is falling apart tender, about 2 hours.
- Add the lemon juice, season with salt to taste, mix in the cilantro and enjoy!
For the curry powder:
For the curry:
Option: Add some sugar if the curry is too sour.
Option: Drain all of the grease from the pan after cooking the lamb and cook the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and curry powder in melted ghee/butter.
Coconut milk ? I’ve never come across coconut milk in Indian curries.