Slow-Cooked Lamb Curry with Tomatoes, Garlic and Garam Masala

Tempo

1h 15 (with pressure)

Picante

Dificuldade

Médio

Rende

3porções

Ingredientes

Marinade (1h or overnight)

1 kg

leg of lamb on the bone, cut to bite-sized pieces *(or paleta de cordeiro com osso, same way)*

garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3.5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped

(Crush the garlic and ginger to a coarse paste; mix with the lamb.)

Cook

4 tbsp

neutral oil

200g onions, thinly sliced

500g tomatoes, thinly sliced

heaped tsp Kashmiri chile powder *(or middle-path: 2 tsp paprika doce + a pinch of paprika defumada)*

Salt to taste

2 tbsp

Greek yogurt

2 tsp

ground coriander

A pinch of turmeric

1 tsp

cumin seeds, coarsely crushed

½ tsp

black pepper, coarsely crushed

A pinch of garam masala (added at the end)

fresh green chiles, slit lengthwise (optional)

1 tbsp

chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp

chopped fresh mint

Ginger slivers, for garnish

Modo de preparo

01**Marinate.** Mix lamb with the crushed garlic-ginger paste. Set aside **1 hour** (or overnight in fridge).
02**Brown the lamb.** PCC20 on P5 (Refogar). Heat 4 tbsp oil. Add the marinated lamb chunks and fry **5-6 minutes**, stirring well to seal each piece. (Don't expect deep browning — the moist marinade prevents that. Light sear is fine.)
03**Add tomatoes.** Stir in sliced tomatoes. Cook **8 minutes**, stirring — they break down and soften into a sauce.
04**Add onions and chile powder.** Stir in sliced onions + Kashmiri chile powder. Cook another **3 minutes**. Season with salt.
05**Yogurt + spice mix.** In a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt + ground coriander + turmeric + cumin + black pepper. Add to the pot, **stirring well so the yogurt doesn't split**.
06**Pressure cook.** Lock lid, P14 (Carne), **25 minutes** high pressure. Natural release. (Original stovetop recipe uses 45-50 minutes covered simmer; pressure halves it.)
07**Open lid; finish.** Stir, taste. The sauce should be reduced and clinging to the lamb pieces. If too liquid, sauté mode 5 min uncovered.
08**Off-heat additions.** Turn heat off. While still warm, sprinkle in **garam masala** + **green chiles** (if using) + chopped **coriander + mint + ginger slivers**. Stir gently. Rest 2 minutes for flavors to integrate.

Slow-Cooked Lamb Curry with Tomatoes, Garlic and Garam Masala

Maunika Gowardhan's lamb curry — bone-in lamb, a tomato-and-onion base, finished with yogurt and a punch of garam masala at the end. Distinct from haleem (no lentils, no slow-melt), distinct from biryani (no rice baked in), distinct from vindaloo (no vinegar, no chile-forward). This is a clean Indian home-style curry that lets the lamb's flavor lead.

Heat: 1/5. Mild — Kashmiri chile + a pinch of garam masala. Optional fresh green chiles let you push it.

Tame it

Already mild. To go to heat 0:

Skip Kashmiri chile, use only paprika doce
Skip green chiles entirely

Sub: bottled chiles only

Replace Kashmiri chile powder with 2 tsp paprika doce + a pinch of paprika defumada (already noted in ingredients).

Slow cooker variant (PCC20 P6 — Cozimento Lento)

After step 5 (yogurt added), switch to P6 (Cozimento Lento), 6-8 hours. Stir in the off-heat aromatics at end. Excellent unattended cook for Sunday lunch with delayed start (Programar Preparo).

Serving

Steamed basmati rice with a pinch of cardamom, naan or chapati, plain yogurt or raita, sliced raw onion in lime juice. Cold lassi or off-dry Riesling.

Notes

Bone-in lamb is essential. The marrow and connective tissue from the bone create the depth that distinguishes a lamb curry from a generic spiced stew.
Fresh garam masala at the END. Don't add it at the start with the other spices — pre-cooking destroys the floral, complex notes that garam masala is for. The end-of-cook sprinkle is what gives this curry its signature aroma.
Yogurt-splitting prevention. Mix yogurt + spices smooth in a small bowl BEFORE adding to the pot. Stirring vigorously when added keeps it emulsified. If it does split (visible curds), the pressure cook tends to smooth it back out.
Make ahead. Better day 2. Freezes 2 months — re-add fresh garam masala on reheat (the floral aroma re-blooms).
Cross-references:
- For a more elaborate Hyderabadi lamb dish: paleta-cordeiro_hyderabadi-haleem.md (a porridge with lentils and grain)
- For a Lebanese gentle-spice lamb: paleta-cordeiro_lebanese-seven-spice.md
- For a Moroccan sweet-spice version: paleta-cordeiro_moroccan-tagine-prunes.md
- This one is the "straight Indian curry" of the four.
Wine: Riesling or Pinot Noir.