Lamb karahi in a metal dish with rice and herbs alongside

Lamb karahi

Name: Lamb karahi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 600g bone-in lamb (shoulder or chops) chopped into roughly 5cm chunks through the bone (see tip); 5 large tomatoes chopped; 4 garlic cloves crushed; 20g fresh ginger grated; 2 tbsp ghee; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped; 1–2 garlic cloves roughly chopped; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp chilli powder (any heat); 1 tsp coriander seeds ground into a powder (or use ground coriander); handful of coriander finely chopped; 10 mint leaves chopped; 1–3 green chillies finely chopped (deseeded if you prefer less heat); thumb-sized piece of ginger cut into small matchsticks; naans or cooked basmati rice

Sumayya Usmani

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Serves 2 - 4

More effort

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 1 hr and 30 mins

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Use lamb on the bone to add depth for a true Karachi-style curry. Leftovers are even better the next day as the fat carries the spices beautifully

Gluten-free

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

600g bone-in lamb (shoulder or chops)

chopped into roughly 5cm chunks through the bone (see tip)
5 large tomatoes

chopped
4 garlic cloves

crushed
20g fresh ginger

grated

For the curry

2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1cm piece ginger

peeled and finely chopped
1–2 garlic cloves

roughly chopped
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder

(any heat)
1 tsp coriander seeds

ground into a powder (or use ground coriander)

To serve

handful of coriander

finely chopped
10 mint leaves

chopped
1–3 green chillies

finely chopped (deseeded if you prefer less heat)
thumb-sized piece of ginger

cut into small matchsticks
naans or cooked basmati rice

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Nutrition: Per serving (4)

kcal443
fat36g
saturates15g
carbs7g
sugars6g
fibre3g
protein23g
salt0.28g

Method

step 1

Put a dry lidded pan over a medium heat and cook the lamb, 4 of the chopped tomatoes, the garlic and ginger for 20-25 mins until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Remove to a bowl.
step 2

Return the empty pan to a medium heat and add the ghee and oil. Once hot, sprinkle in the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns, and fry for 1 min until fragrant. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, turmeric and a large pinch of salt, and cook for about 30 seconds until the raw garlic smell disappears.
step 3

Put the meat mixture back into the pan and fry for a further minute. Add the remaining tomatoes, chilli powder and ground coriander, and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the lamb is completely tender, about 1 hr. When it is ready, the oil should be sitting on top of the dish, but do check that the meat is tender as well.
step 4

To serve, top with coriander and mint leaves, chopped green chillies and ginger. Serve with naans or simple boiled basmati rice.

Recipe tips

Bone-in is non-negotiable as the marrow enriches the sauce in a way boneless never can. Ask your butcher to chop through the bone, if needed.

The oil separation (known as tarka coming out) is your signal that the masala is properly cooked. If you don't see it, keep going.

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