1,000 Indian Recipes (258 page)

Authors: Neelam Batra

Variation:
Alternately, starting from Step 4, place the lamb in an ovenproof dish along with all the juices and scrapings (add some water to the pan to loosen the scrapings) and roast at 300°F until spoon-soft, about 2 hours.

Hyderabadi Spicy Leg of Lamb Raan with Screwpine Essence

Kevda Raan

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This fragrant leg of lamb with bold flavors often comes to the table on special occasions, garnished with silver leaves and nuts. Its royal elegance is quite striking and the desire to dig in is irresistible. Serve it family-style with any black urad bean
(saabut urad dal)
dish, such as
Black Urad Beans in a Slow Cooker
, and
naan
(oven-baked) or
parantha
(griddle-fried) breads.

Screwpine essence, called
ruh-kewra
, has a characteristic pine tree aroma. It may be an acquired taste for those new to it, but it is a special Indian flavor. You can find it, the silver leaves, and other flavoring items for this recipe at an Indian market.

1 (4- to 5-pound) leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
), trimmed of all fat

10 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

6 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 tablespoon garam masala

1
¹⁄
₂teaspoons salt, or to taste

3 large onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

¹⁄
₂cup melted ghee or peanut oil

6 to 8 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

¹⁄
₄cup shelled raw almonds

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon black cumin seeds

2 cups water

¹⁄
₂teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in
¹⁄
₂cup milk about 30 minutes

2 to 3 drops screwpine essence (ruh kewra)

¹⁄
₄cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

4 to 6 silver leaves

¹⁄
₄cup sliced mixed almonds and pistachios

1.
Carefully trim off the white membrane from the surface of the meat and, with a long-pronged barbecue fork or a thin knife with a pointed tip, prick it all over. Then make 2-inch long deep cuts, each about 2 inches apart, over the entire surface of the lamb and place in a non-reactive pan.

2.
In a food processor, process together 6 slices ginger and 4 cloves garlic until minced. Add the lemon juice, yogurt, garam masala, and salt and process again until smooth. Transfer to the lamb and rub well over the surface of the meat, making sure that it enters the cuts. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 and up to 48 hours.

3.
Toss the onions with the sugar. Heat the ghee in a large nonstick wok over medium-high heat and cook the sugar-coated onions (in 2 batches if necessary), stirring, until crispy and golden, about 12 minutes per batch. With a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain. Then cook the red chile peppers, stirring, until crispy and browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the ghee from the wok.

4.
In a food processor, process together half the fried onions (save the rest for garnish), the remaining 4 pieces of ginger and 2 cloves garlic, and the almonds and red chile peppers to make a smooth paste.

5.
Heat the 1 tablespoon ghee that's left in the wok, stir in the bay leaves and cumin seeds, and cook about 30 seconds. Add the onion-almond paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the ghee separates to the sides, about 5 minutes.

6.
Add the marinated lamb, leaving the marinade behind, and cook, turning as needed, until well-browned on all sides, about 1 hour. Add the marinade and the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the lamb is soft-tender, 1
¹⁄
₂to 2 hours. (Check after 1
¹⁄
₂hours, and then every 10 minutes until it is soft.)

7.
Mix in the saffron milk, screwpine essence, and cilantro, and continue to simmer until the sauce is thick and fragrant, about 20 minutes.

8.
Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the silver leaves, the reserved fried onions, and the almonds and pistachios, and serve hot.

Spinach-Stuffed Honey-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Palak Bhara Raan

Makes 6 to 8 servings

A spectacular party dish, this lamb presents beautifully because before it is served, it is cut into slices that show cross-section swirls of the greens and meat. Garnish it with a handful of roasted cherry tomatoes. Have the butcher prepare the lamb for you: Ask for the leg bone to be removed but wrapped up for you. (Save it for making soup.)

1 cup (1 recipe)
Basic Onion Paste

1 cup
Yogurt Cheese
, whisked until smooth, or sour cream

1 (8-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, with juices reserved

¹⁄
₂cup coarsely chopped mixed raw nuts, such as cashews, almonds, and pistachios

¹⁄
₄cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

3
¹⁄
₂- to 4-pounds boned leg of lamb (about 6 pounds with bone), all visible fat trimmed, bone removed (but not discarded), and the meat butterflied (
Buying Leg of Lamb
)

¹⁄
₄cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons melted ghee or vegetable oil

1
¹⁄
₂teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground paprika

2 tablespoons melted honey

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

¹⁄
₂teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup water

1.
Prepare the onion paste, and yogurt cheese. Then, in a food processor, process together the spinach with all the juices, nuts, raisins, and cilantro to make a thick purée.

2.
Place the lamb in a flat non-reactive baking dish. With a long-pronged barbecue fork or the pointed tip of a thin knife, prick it all over. Then make 2-inch long, deep cuts, each about 2 inches apart, over the entire outside surface of the lamb.

3.
In a bowl, mix together the lemon juice, ghee, salt, and paprika and rub well over both sides of the meat, making sure you work it into all the cut sections. Spread the puréed spinach on the entire inside surface. Then roll the lamb into a log, and, with cotton kitchen string, tie the roll crosswise and lengthwise to secure it.

4.
Mix together the yogurt cheese (or sour cream), onion paste, honey, sesame oil, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and cayenne pepper and rub well over the outside surface of the meat. Save any leftovers in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 12 and up to 48 hours, turning a few times.

5.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the lamb to an ovenproof dish, along with its marinade, place the reserved bone alongside it, pour the water into the pan, and roast 1 hour.

6.
Reduce the heat to 300°F, baste with the reserved refrigerated marinade and roast until most of the juices evaporate, the lamb is well-browned, and becomes soft, about 1 hour.

7.
Cut off and discard the string from the roast, slice the lamb into
¹⁄
₂- to 1-inch slices, place on the serving platter, cover with foil, and keep warm.

8.
Add about 1 cup hot water to the pan and scrape off any browned bits sticking to the pan and on the bone. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and bring to a quick boil over high heat. Pour some of the gravy over the lamb and the rest into a serving bowl and serve alongside. Serve hot.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Bhuna Raan

Makes 6 to 8 servings

This is a recipe from chef Sunil Vora in Los Angeles. Sunil sneaks in some rosemary along with the standard Indian seasonings to make this outstanding piece of meat. It is so easy to make, especially if you have your butcher remove the bone, trim the fat, and butterfly the leg of lamb. I provide grilling and broiling instructions, so you can cook it either way.