This dish is great when you need to feed a crowd as the lentils allow you to bulk it up a little, making it go further than an all-meat curry.
Aromatic Durban lamb and lentil curry
Ingredients
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1,5kg leg of lamb, cubed
- CURRY PASTE
- 2 onions, quartered
- 10ml fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 chilli, optional
- 4 cardamom pods, skins removed
- 2ml ground coriander
- 2ml ground cumin
- 15ml fennel seeds
- 5ml turmeric
- 30ml garam masala
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 250ml brown lentils
- 250ml water
- 250ml extra thick plain yoghurt
Instructions
Season the meat and brown it in a heavybased pot then remove and set aside.
Using a food processor, blitz all the paste ingredients until a rough paste forms.
Fry the paste in the pot over a medium heat until it begins to brown slightly then add the meat and cook for another minute before adding the tomatoes, cinnamon and bay leaves, and enough water to just cover the meat. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Allow the curry to simmer until the meat starts to get tender, about 45 minutes.
Add the lentils and water and simmer for another 30 minutes, adding a little extra water if needed. Once cooked stir through the yoghurt and serve.
COOK’S TIP
Serve the curry with a mixture of sambals such as chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander, sliced bananas, chutney and naan bread.
