Recipe and Images by Kathy Paterson
A popular one-pot dish – add a dish of steamed broccoli and to extend serve with grilled roti.
It’s now a good time to clean out that spice drawer! Fresh spices add so much flavour to the dish.
Serves 4
1 tsp black or brown mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp vegetable oil
850g–1kg lamb shoulder chops
4 tbsp plain flour
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 large carrots, cut into large pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp ground mild chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli is good here)
½ tsp ground turmeric
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice (we love the ones from Vetro)
375ml chicken stock
a handful of parsley leaves, chopped
Heat the oven to 160°C.
Toast the whole spices in a hot, dry frying pan for about 30 seconds until aromatic. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool before grinding.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Rub the lamb chops in the flour to coat evenly then, in batches, brown in the hot oil. Transfer to a large ovenproof casserole dish as you go.
Lower the heat and add remaining oil. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes and cook to add a little colour and flavour, about 5 minutes, tossing them regularly. Add the ground spices and nigella seeds, chilli and turmeric, tossing for about 30 seconds, then transfer to the casserole dish.
Add any remaining flour from coating the chops into the pan and lightly brown. Pour in the tomatoes and stock and bring just up to the boil before pouring over the chops and vegetables. Put a piece of baking paper, cut to fit, directly over chops and vegetables then put on the lid.
Put into the oven and cook for 2–2 ½ hours until the meat is almost falling of the bone.
Remove from the oven halfway through cooking and baste chops with sauce and check seasoning. Add some salt, if needed.
Serve topped with the chopped parsley.
Tip – If you need to thicken the sauce at the end of cooking, make a paste using 25g softened butter and 25g flour. Whisk into the sauce about 30 minutes before the end of cooking to cook out the flour.
