Prep time 20
Cook time 4 hours + resting
This lamb is tender, so tender you can pull it apart with a couple of spoons. It’s the highlight of any Indian feast, and best eaten with Bombay potatoes, cauliflower and potato curry, naan and some dhal. This recipe is dedicated to a great old mate of mine. Arun it was you and your family who got me into spicy food, so it is only fair that I give back a little something . . . miss you, bro.
Ingredients
1.8–2 kg lamb shoulder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp chilli powder or to taste
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
3–6 green chillies, pounded into a paste
4 cm knob of ginger, pounded into a paste
5 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled and sliced in half
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200ºC.
- Place the lamb in a roasting tray. Make a few cuts into the fat side of the lamb with a knife and rub the oil all over the meat.
- Place the coriander seeds, chilli powder, turmeric, masala, chillies and ginger in a small bowl and combine.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and garlic to the roasting tray, rub the lamb all over with the spice mix and season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup water to the roasting tray then cover the tray with tinfoil and place in the oven.
- Turn the oven down to 170°C and cook for 4 hours. The smell will be amazing and the lamb will fall apart.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and discard the cloves and whole cinnamon sticks. Place on a chopping board, cover with tinfoil, then a tea towel, and leave to rest for 10 minutes before pulling it apart with two forks.