Home-style lamb curry

• ginger↗thumb-sized piece

  ½ cut into matchsticks, the rest left whole

• onions↗2

  quartered

• garlic cloves↗4
• rapeseed oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• cinnamon stick↗1
• ground coriander↗1 tbsp tbsp
• ground cumin↗1 tsp tsp
• ground turmeric↗1 tsp tsp
• fennel seeds½ tsp tsp
• leg of lamb↗750g g

  diced

• chopped tomatoes400g can g
• red chilli↗1

  or green chilli, deseeded and sliced

• coriandersmall bunch

  stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped

• basmati rice↗

  and mango chutney or raita, to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put ½ the thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 quartered onions and 4 garlic cloves in a food processor with 300ml water. Blitz to a smooth purée.

2. 2

   Scrape down the sides with a spoon and blitz again to make it as smooth as you can. Tip into a deep sauté pan, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins.

3. 3

   Remove the lid and cook for 5 mins more, stirring occasionally. By now the liquid should be all gone. If not, cook a little longer.

4. 4

   Add 2 tbsp rapeseed oil to the pan with the remaining piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks. Turn up the heat and fry, stirring, for 3-5 mins until it starts to colour.

5. 5

   Stir in 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp fennel seeds, then add 750g leg of lamb. Stir-fry until the lamb changes colour.

6. 6

   Tip in 400g can chopped tomatoes with a can of water and 1 deseeded and sliced red or green chilli, season well, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hr.

7. 7

   Stir in the finely chopped stalks from a small bunch coriander, re-cover and cook for a final 30 mins until the lamb is tender. Add a splash of water if necessary to loosen the consistency as it cooks.

8. 8

   Stir in the roughly chopped coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and mango chutney or raita.