Braised lamb with turmeric and yogurt
-
Loading... - Ines Novak
- 08 Feb 2021
- 1409 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Serves 3-4.
middle neck of lamb 1 kg
olive oil 3 tbsp
onions 3, large
garlic 6 cloves
curry powder (mild) 3 tsp
black pepper 2 tsp
turmeric 2 tsp, ground
water 1 litre
saffron stamens 2 pinches
butter 30g
yogurt 500ml, thick
pistachios shelled, a large handful
dried sour cherries a handful
Brown the lamb in the oil in a large, deep casserole then transfer to a warm plate. Pour two-thirds of the fat from the pan into a small bowl and set aside.
Peel and roughly chop 2 of the onions, add to the pan and cook over a moderate heat for about 25 minutes. Peel the garlic, slice thinly then add to the onions when they have been cooking for 15 minutes.
Stir in the curry powder, black pepper and turmeric and cook for a few minutes then return the lamb to the pan and pour in the water. Turn to a low simmer, partially cover, then cook for 3 hours, until the lamb almost falls off the bone.
Steep the saffron in 50ml of water for 10 minutes. Peel the remaining onion, cut in half then into 1cm-thick slices. Warm the reserved lamb fat in a heavy, shallow pan, add the butter and onions and cook over a low heat for about 25 minutes.
Using a draining spoon, lift the lamb pieces out on to a warm serving dish. Turn up the heat under the lamb liquor and boil to reduce by half. Put the yogurt in a large bowl, pour in the saffron liquid (holding back the stamens if you wish) whisking continuously. Pour the reduced liquor from the lamb into the yogurt, beating with a wooden spoon, then spoon over the lamb. Finish with the fried onions, pistachios and sour cherries.
