I love a good curry! But it took me a long time to cook one from scratch in my own kitchen. I feared my spice rack, not knowing which spice tasted like what, and always relied on a jar of sauce from my local supermarket.
In recent years, and thanks to my friend Faisal’s family, I’ve learnt more about spices and curries than I ever had before. Now, almost all curries cooked in my kitchen are from scratch and I wonder why I was ever nervous to cook one – they’re so easy!
One of my new favourites is Lamb Karahi. An aromatic Pakistani curry, packed with flavour and delicious pieces of mouth-watering lamb. It’s so easy to make, you’ll even have time to prepare your own homemade roti as an accompaniment.
You can also use this same recipe with chicken (1kg on the bone or 500g boneless). It’s a great idea for using up leftover chicken after a roast dinner. In fact, all the following images will be from my Chicken Karahi but the same instructions apply!
So, grab the ingredients below and get cooking…
Ingredients (serves 4):
For the Curry:
- 2 tbsp Ghee (or Olive Oil)
- 1 White Onion (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 3cm Ginger (grated)
- 2 Green Chillies (diced)
- 1kg Lamb on the Bone (cubed) / 500g Boneless Lamb (cubed)
- 200g Tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 0.5 tsp Garam Masala
- 0.5 tsp Tumeric
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
For the Roti:
- 225g Chapatti Flour (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 100-150ml Water
Method:
1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add your ghee. Once the ghee has heated, add your onion and cook until softened. Top Tip: Cook your onions on a lower heat for longer, rather than a higher heat for less time. This will prevent your onions from burning and gaining too much colour.
2. Add your garlic, ginger and red chilli to the pan and stir together. Allow to fry for a further minute before adding your lamb. Cook your lamb until it has browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.
3. Add all your ground / powdered spices and stir well, ensuring the lamb cubes are thoroughly coated. Allow to fry for a further 1-2 minutes, then add your chopped tomatoes and fresh coriander. T
4. Season the curry with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to the boil. Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce to a low heat and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the curry from sticking to your pan.
5. While your curry is cooking, prepare your roti. Start by combining the flour, salt and olive oil together in a bowl. Slowly add the water (a tablespoon at a time) until you have a dough-like consistency. Top Tip: If your mixture becomes too wet and sticky, simply add more chapati flour.
6. Lightly dust a counter-top and rolling pin with the extra flour. Tip out your dough onto the counter and knead until the dough is thoroughly combined and smooth.
7. Split your dough into five equal portions and roll-out each portion into a circular shape, until around 2mm thick. When each roti has reached the desired shape and thickness, carefully toss between your hands to remove any excess flour. Top Tip: Between every 1-2 rolls, turn your dough by 90 degrees to ensure you get an even circle.
8. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat (no oil) and add one roti. The roti will begin to puff, and once it has gained some colour on the face-down side, flip to allow the other side to cook. This process should take between 1-3 minutes, dependant on your stove temperature. Repeat this step with the remaining four roti, keeping the cooked roti between foil to retain the heat.
Once you have completed your roti and your curry is cooked through, you are ready to plate and enjoy!
Try this recipe in your own kitchen and let me see your results – simply share on socials and use the hashtag #HazelEyesBlog :-)
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