Creamy Cardamom Lamb Curry with Coconut Cream
By Mason Brooks
Prep
20 min
Cook
90 min
Total
110 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
This lamb curry recipe serves four as a main dish. Lamb shoulder is braised in curry sauce with coconut milk, cardamom, turmeric, and coriander. The curry sauce reduces and turns golden-orange in color as it cooks. The taste of cardamom is the most noticeable among the spices in this dish.
I use a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven. Cook the lamb in several batches. Do not stir the lamb to brown it on all sides. Do not stir. Mash the pods with the back of a knife when you add them to the pot with the onions. Overcrowding will cause the lamb to brown less and result in a less attractive braised dish. It will take more batches to cook the lamb. Garlic and ginger should be added to the dish for only a short time to prevent bitterness.
Cook the onions until soft and golden. Add garlic and ginger. Cook spices and tomato paste for two minutes or until they darken and become crispy. Pour in liquid to help release crispy spices from the pan. There will be pieces of browned lamb mixed with spices in the layer of spices. Do not stop cooking spices until they are darkened. Cardamom flavor will start to come out at this point.
Low heat for 1.5 hours. I use a silicone spatula to mix in the coconut milk before covering the pot (the silicone spatula helps reach into the corners). Serve with lamb and sauce. Some supervision is required at the start of cooking, but otherwise, this dish requires minimal supervision. I serve the dish in warmed serving bowls at the table, with sauce on the serving spoon.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Instructions yield enough sauce for four dinner servings. Each serving has enough sauce to use a spoon.
- Ground lamb adds flavor to the stew during long cooking.
- Whole cardamom can provide floral notes to curries and prevent the texture of spices in a sauce from being gritty.
- Coconut milk is added to the spice blend to help the sauce adhere to the lamb.
- It is a good choice for a dinner party where you wish to serve long-cooking foods that don't need to be supplemented with other dishes.
- The spices marinate overnight, I like the dish better the next day.
Ingredients
- •2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder (900g, cut into 1.5-inch chunks)
- •2 tbsp ghee (30g, or clarified butter)
- •salt (to taste)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •1 large yellow onion (150g, finely diced)
- •4 cloves garlic (20g, minced)
- •1 tbsp fresh ginger (15g, grated)
- •6 pods whole green cardamom (3 for braising and 3 for garnish)
- •1 tbsp ground turmeric (15g)
- •1 tbsp ground coriander (15g)
- •2 tbsp tomato paste (30g)
- •1 cup chicken broth (240ml, or beef broth)
- •1 cup full-fat coconut milk (240ml)
- •¼ cup coconut cream (60ml, reserved for swirling)
- •¼ cup fresh green cilantro (15g, finely chopped)
- •2 cups steamed long-grain white basmati rice (400g, for serving)
- •2 whole naan breads (lightly charred and bubbly, for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then sear it in batches until deeply golden-brown on all sides. Remove the lamb and set it aside.
- 2
Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and 3 whole green cardamom pods, then sauté until caramelized. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- 3
Add the tomato paste, turmeric, and coriander. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the spices darken and stick slightly to the bottom of the pot.
- 4
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits. Return the lamb to the pot, stir in the coconut milk, cover, and braise on low heat for 1.5 hours, until the lamb is fork-tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- 5
Ladle the curry into bowls. Swirl coconut cream over the surface, then garnish with cilantro and the remaining 3 whole green cardamom pods. Serve with steamed basmati rice and lightly charred naan.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
680
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