On the heat. Hot

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb curry pieces, bone in
• 5 tbsp oil or ghee
• 3 onions, sliced fine
• 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes, chopped small
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp chilli powder · 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin · 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 green chillies, slit
• Ginger julienne, coriander, lemon

Method

1. Onions browned deeply, 15 minutes. Ginger–garlic, two minutes.
2. Lamb in and fried on high for 15 minutes, stirring, until it takes real colour. This is the bhuna, and it cannot be hurried or skipped.
3. Ground spices in with a splash of water. Tomato in. Fry again, another 10 minutes, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
4. 150 ml water only, lid on, 50 minutes on low.
5. Lid off and turn the heat up. Fry hard for the last 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until there is no loose liquid and the masala coats each piece like a glaze.
6. Green chilli, ginger, garam masala, coriander and lemon off the heat. Roti only — there is no gravy for rice.

Cook's note. Bhuna means fried, not stewed. If there is sauce pooling on the plate, it is not finished. Keep going.

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