PacoMarcSue Lamb

I prepared this a few days back. I am dedicating this to my friend Marc Ratcliffe for his penchant, for enjoying life with his family and trying out new things to cook for his colleagues at his office.


As always, my preparations are not for the faint-hearted, but the indulgent variety. Once made this preparation should taste a little tangy, remind you of green chillies on the tip of your tongue, and should clear your throat. Incase of any clarifications, write to me... you know my email ID.

I couldn't have done this without the 'marinating' help from my wifey, Sudipa (That was the Oscar speech)...

Yenjoie!

________________________________________



Get meaty & lean lamb chops and marinate them with curd, salt, green chillies, garlic paste and ginger paste. Keep it marinated for a minimum of 6hrs, but a day would be divine.

Heat oil in a wok (best) or in a nonstick frying pan, and sear the drained lamb chops. The purpose of searing is to seal the juices within, so the oil has to be hot. The purpose is not to cook the meat. In fact if it is properly seared, then the meat will become a little tough, but don't worry. Once seared, keep it aside, covered. Preserve the marinade as it will be required later on.

Heat oil in a wok (best) or in a nonstick cooking vessel (deep-bottom). Once the oil is hot, put in a spoon-full (or two) of regular grain-sugar, and let it caramelise a bit. Once the sugar gets caramelised, and oil is hot again (not too hot), add some chopped garlic, ginger, chillies and powdered black pepper. Once the garlic gets a little discolored, add the chopped onions (good quantity, as this forms the sauce) and fry them till they become brown in color, and the oil starts leaving the sides.

If you have turmeric, then add the turmeric paste (turmeric powder mixed with water and a little oil), once the onions have turned pink. You need to be able to handle the turmeric well, so, follow the instructions well. As the onions turn pink, use the spatula, and segregate the onions from the oil, then add the turmeric paste. A second or two later pour in a little water on the paste (which by now has started frying), and then a little oil on top of it. Why is this done... Well, this is to ensure that the turmeric doesn't get burnt (as the temperature required for it to cook is very low compared to the temperature of the oil)... and its my mother's way of doing it; so, just do it! If you are not using turmeric, then you needn't go through all of this. Turmeric adds a beautiful flavor to the meet. It is pungent, so, don't use a lot... just a teaspoon is all that you need for a kilo of onions.

Add the meat, and keep turning it over & over. This is a tedious process, as the meat should not get stuck to the bottom of the cooking vessel, and the onions should not get burnt. To control the temperature of the oil, use the marinade (mixed with some water). Keep on cooking till such time the meat becomes 75% cooked (use God's best gift to mankind to test that... thumb, index finger, and your teeth). Add water (warm water preferred) till it covers all the meat (and also if any marinade is left... which shouldn't be the case). Put a lid on the vessel, and let it simmer. Keep stirring it from time-to-time. You could ask your spouse to help you (my wife is insisting on adding this line)

Keep cooking it till the mutton gets 'almost' done, keep adding water (warm water preferred) if required. Once 'almost' done, the sauce should have the same consistency as that of the regular bottled tomato sauce.

When just five minutes away, add chopped coriander / parsley leaves mixed with mint leaves, a generous helping of lemon juice and sprinkle garam masala (use the packed version available with any indian condiment store or use a powdered mixture of cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander seeds, cardamom small, cardamom big, fennel seeds and bayleaves), and black pepper powder. Mix them together with the spatula. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on high heat, while turning the meat regularly & the gravy. Cut the fire, put on the lid, keep a heavy pestle or any heavy thing on top (incase the lid is not air-tight), and let it rest for 15mins.

Put the preparation in a serving-dish, sprinkle chopped coriander/parsley leaves & fine strips of deseeded green chillies & some pepper corn as garnish.
________________________________________

Have this with rice or tawa-roti/tandoori-roti/naan (types of indian breads) or french loaf (too spicy for dinner rolls). If you want this served as a complete meal, then make a bead of rice on a plate, make a hole in between (should look like a large rice doughnut), and place the sauce and meat in the middle.



E & OE