Whole Lamb Leg Curry
My favorite way to enjoy lamb leg is by turning it into a curry. The lamb leg is filled with lots of fat and connective tissue which becomes very tender after a few hours. The flavor of the curry is creamy, tomatoey, and typical Indian flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 whole leg of lamb
- ½ cup oil (divided)
- 2 large onions (chopped)
- 12 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28-ounce/ 796mL)
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 8 cardamom pods (Remove the seeds from the pods. Grind the seeds into a fine powder and discard the pods)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup almonds (or cashews)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to debone the lamb leg. Chop the meat into 2-inch chunks and reserve the bone. It's okay if there is some meat on the bone. See the blog post for pictures.
- Preheat your oven to 500°F or air-fryer to 400°F.
- Roast the bone for 20-25 minutes or until the bits of meat on the bone are charred and crispy. My bone did not fit in my air fryer so I had to cut it at the joint.
- Add the bone to a large soup pot. Fill it with enough water to cover the bone (about 10 cups) and simmer for 4 hours. If the water gets too low, add a little more water. After 4 hours, remove the bones and any leftover meat that came off the bones. You should have about 4 cups of stock. If you have more, just boil the stock until it reduces to about 4 cups. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add ⅓ of the meat and sear for 1 minute on each side until brown. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat in two more batches.
- Add the rest of the oil (about ⅓ of a cup) to the empty pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and salt, and cook for another minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, lamb, and lamb stock. Bring to boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for one and half hours.
- Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the almonds into a fine powder. Add it to the curry and stir to thicken.
- Add the cream and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and enjoy!
Notes
The curry stays fresh for about one week in the fridge.