For those cold winter nights when you want a little extra flavour.
This recipe is one of my absolute comfort foods, packed with incredible spices and herbs. The whole kitchen comes to life with the aromatic, culinary 'perfume' this dish gives off - you'll be the envy of the entire neighborhood!
Mirchi in Punjabi means spicy or hot, and Masala is simply a blend of various spices common across South Asia. This dish certainly suits both words, containing a good number of spices that will have your whole house smelling heavenly.
Recipe
Ingredients:
8 Cloves, not the stems
12 Green Cardamom Pods, ground
1 Tsp Black Peppercorns, ground
2 Bay Leaves
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Brown Onion
1 Red Onion
5 Garlic Cloves
Thumb of Ginger
5 Large(ish) Tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 or 3 tsp of Salt (to taste)
2 or 3 tsp of Turmeric (to taste)
2 or 3 tsp of Garam Masala (to taste)
3 or 4 Green Chilies, (depending on heat), thinly chopped
300g Boneless Lamb (cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces)
Fresh Coriander, chopped
A splash of olive oil
Ingredients:
In a food processor, blend together the brown onion, red onion, garlic and ginger until very finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, thinly dice the ingredients. Set aside.
Place a large pot over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and bay leaves to the oil. Once aromatic, add the onion/garlic/ginger blend. Stir frequently to avoid burning and cook until dark brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the salt, turmeric, garam masala and chillies to the pot. Taste as you go and adjust measurements per your preference. Stir thoroughly.
Add the lamb and goat. Stir and keep on the heat until well-cooked. Add about 3/4 of the coriander and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
Transfer into a serving dish and decorate with the remaining coriander. Serve with basmati rice and a lemon wedge.