Lamb curry

Several years ago, a friend of mine gave me this recipe of his mom's. It's so easy and good (and cheap to make!) that I come back to it over and over again. I also love having this homestyle Indian dish always at my fingertips, so I can act like I know how to cook authentic Indian food. This dish can probably be made with ground pork or beef as well, but the lamb adds a wonderful--for lack of a better word I have in my arsenal--lamby flavor that goes perfectly with the assertive spices. I've also been known to make this dish with chickpeas and potatoes instead of lamb though the end effect is, unsurprisingly, a bit different given that lamb has a much stronger flavor than the chickpeas. Still, it's great either way.

Ground lamb (or chunks of lamb, though I've never tried it this way), onions, garlic, spices, tomatoes, cilantro and a few minutes are all you need to make this dish. The amount of garlic is up to you--I LOVE garlic so I always tend to up the amount of garlic when cooking from recipes. Serve this over rice and you've got a very tasty meal.


Lamb curry recipe (adapted from the recipe courtesy of my friend's mother!)

-2 t. oil
-1 onion, chopped
-2-3 serrano peppers (optional)
-2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 lb ground lamb
-1/4 tsp turmeric
-1/4 tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-2 1/2 tsp ground coriander
-1/2 tsp garam masala
-1 15 oz can diced tomatoes or 1-2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
-1 1/2 cups water
-Cilantro for garnish (optional)


Saute onions, serrano peppers, and garlic in the oil over medium high heat until onion starts to brown. Lower the heat slightly and add the lamb and spices, breaking the meat up into pieces. Stir frequenty until the lamb is cooked through.

Add the tomatoes and water, less water if you want a thicker dish with less "gravy." Once the mixture starts boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust spices if necessary. Add some chopped cilantro over the top if desired (the cilantro adds some nice color and flavor to the dish).