This lamb and spinach curry, made with whole spices, is a warming, gentle and nourishing curry that you can get going then leave to cook itself.
It is made firstly on the hob then in the oven, making it a very hands off curry to cook.
This curry is based on a Madhur Jaffrey one, but I added spinach and juggled a few of the quantities to make it into a dish you can serve by itself (with rice and naan) without needing to make various side dishes. It’s fairly mild, and you can make it more or less so by changing the amount of cayenne pepper you use. If you’re going to put more in, wait until the end and do it by taste.
The curry is made using whole spices, giving it an incredible aromatic flavour. Just be careful to pick them out when you are eating it.
You could serve this alongside a dal like Courgette and Coconut Dal or Bottom-of-the-Freezer Vegetable Dahl.
After more curry recipes? Why not try:
- Thai Fish Curry
- Chicken Katsu Curry
- Slow Cooked Beef Curry
- Easy Thai Red Chicken Curry
- The Creamiest Butter Halloumi Curry
- 15 Minute Beef Panang Curry
The Ingredients
- Vegetable oil – to start the cooking process. You could also use ghee.
- Whole spices – the whole spices used in this curry are cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. This mix goes incredibly well with the lamb.
- Other spices – we use ground spices as well – ground coriander, ground ginger and cayenne pepper. It might seem like a lot of ground coriander, but trust me – it works. We also use a teaspoon of salt to bring out the flavours.
- Onions and garlic– a staple for most curries. This one uses 4 onions, which is a lot, but really works.
- Lamb – get boneless lamb, and ideally ask your butcher to dice it for you (it’s easier)
- Natural yoghurt – get natural yoghurt rather than Greek yoghurt, and don’t get fat free. This is because Greek and fat free yoghurts are more likely to split during the cooking process.
- Cream – added at the end, cream brings richness to this curry and counter balances the sourness from the yoghurt.
- Spinach – you can use fresh or frozen.
- Coriander – to finish the curry off with some freshness.
Top Tips
- Cooking the spices and onions – When you start the cooking process, keep a close eye on it. You want the whole spices to sizzle and become fragrant, but you must avoid them burning.
- If your yoghurt splits – Don’t panic! Yoghurt in curries like this can curdle because of the heat. Any curdling should right itself when you add the cream – just add
it gradually and keep stirring. - Get ahead – This curry can be frozen. Cool, transfer to a container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
Lamb and Spinach Whole Spice Curry
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 4 chopped white onions
- 3 chopped garlic cloves
- 600 grams boneless lamb – chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
- 500 ml natural yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 150 ml double cream
- 300 grams spinach
- Large handful coriander
- Naan bread and boiled rice to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
- Heat the oil over a medium high heat in a large casserole dish then add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Cook for 2 minutes, then tip in the onions and garlic.
- Cook for around 5 minutes until the onion is starting to brown, then add the meat, yoghurt, ground coriander, ground ginger, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Put the lid on the casserole dish and put in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and put back on the hob on a low heat. Add the cream slowly, stirring all the time. Stir in the frozen spinach and allow to wilt, then add the chopped coriander. Serve with the rice and naan bread.
More delicious Indian style recipes:
- Paneer and Vegetable Wraps
- Easy One Pot Saag Paneer
- Black Lentil Dal
- Courgette and Coconut Dal
- Vegetable Korma
- Chicken Balti
- One Pan Roast Chicken and Rice
- Curried Lentil Soup
- Chicken, Spinach and Paneer Naan Pizzas
