Lamb & Potato Curry | Aloo aur Lamb Tarkari
It wasn’t a meal we had daily, heck, we’d be lucky if we ate it once a month! Lamb curry was something that was an indulgence growing up in Fiji. Lamb, like all other meats, was expensive; therefore, it was deemed a “special” meal. Once every month or so, mom would go to “town” or B Kumar Supermarket on Shalimar Street and buy lamb. I don’t remember if it was precut pieces or if mom did the chopping herself, something she is quite good at, by the way, but I do remember the delicious lamb curry she made! We would all sit down together, with rice and lamb aur aloo tarkari (lamb and potato curry) and devour all the food on our Fiji la plate! Man, those were the good ole days!
Even though we can now afford lamb on a regular basis, we still don’t make lamb curry regularly. It is a still a treat. Even Ma doesn’t make it often, but when she does, I make sure to grab a plate of food at her house or she’ll pack me some and bring it by. {moms are great that way}
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- 1 lb. (1/2 kg) of bone-in lamb
- 1 large potato, cubed
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated/crushed
- Chili peppers to taste, crushed or chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- Sprig or two of curry leaves (currypilli/tegpatti)
- 2 dry red chilis
- 4 tsp masala (either Fiji masala or garam masala will do)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp chili powder or paprika
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
- Water for gravy
- Cilantro to garnish
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
Method:
- Cut off excess fat from lamb pieces and cut into uniform size
- Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan on medium heat
- Add onion and sauté until translucent (approximately 2-3 minutes)
- Add garlic, ginger, and chili (if using) and sauté for 30 seconds
- Add cumin seeds, dry chilies, and curry leaves and sauté for 1 minute
- Add chopped tomatoes and a little salt to help break down the tomato and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the tomatoes are mushy
- Add all the spices you’re using (masala, chili powder, and turmeric)
- Add ¼ cup of water to deglaze pan and cook the spice mix. Ensure that the spices are burnt.
- Add lamb and increase flame to high
- Sauté lamb for 7-10 minutes until brown and well-coated with all the spices
- Add ½ cup of water and lower heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes, add potatoes and ½ of the cilantro and ½ cup of water*
- Salt to taste and cook for 15-minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through - stir mixture every 5-7 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn or stick
- Once potatoes are cooked, smash a couple of potatoes for a thicker gravy or leave as is, depending on your preference for the thickness of gravy. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with cilantro before serving and dish over hot rice or with roti!
