Free Easy Indian Cooking by Hari Nayak Page A

cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup (230 g) sour cream
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt, to taste
¼ cup (10 g) finely-chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons oil
2 lbs (1 kg) bone-in lamb chops, trimmed of excess fat
1 cup (250 ml) water
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

    1 Grind together the peppercorns, cloves and cardamom in a spice or coffee grinder.
    2 Toast the ground spices, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, constantly stirring until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
    3 Mix together the toasted spices, sour cream, ginger, garlic, salt, rosemary, lime juice and one tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Add the lamb chops to the mixture and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 to 6 hours.
    4 Remove the lamb chops and reserve the marinade. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the lamb chops turning once until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.
    5 Mix the water and reserved marinade together and add it to the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until the chops are tender and the sauce is thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.
    6 Serve hot, garnished with the rosemary sprigs and lime wedges.

 
honey roasted stuffed lamb
    Serves 6
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 1 hour
Not an everyday dish, a stuffed leg of lamb is something you would want to make for special occasions. I live to serve this lamb dish with a portion of rice, like Basmati Rice with Dry-Roasted Spices (page 77). Note: You will need to ask your butcher to make the leg of lamb boneless, as it isn’t something you can’t do at home.
For the stuffing, you may use any vegetable of your choice, not necessarily the spinach and mushroom that I have used here.
1 (3½-lb/1.5-kg) leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat, de-boned, and butterflied
¼ cup (65 ml) malt vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (230 g) sour cream
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons warmed honey, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon clarified butter
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Asian chili powder or ground cayenne pepper
Spinach and Nut Stuffing
1 lb (500 g) fresh spinach, chopped
½ lb (250 g) button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup (140 g) almonds, chopped
¼ cup (25 g) dried cranberries
1 cup (40 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala

    1 Mix together the ingredients for the Spinach and Nut Stuffing in a large bowl.
    2 Make 2-in (5-cm)-long, deep cuts, each about 2 in (5 cm) apart, over the entire outside surface of the leg of lamb.
    3 Mix together the malt vinegar, oil, salt and chili powder in a bowl, and rub well over both sides of the meat, making sure you work it into all the cut sections. Spread the spinach mixture on the entire inside surface. Then roll the lamb into a log. Tie the roll with kitchen twine crosswise and then lengthwise to secure it.
    4 Mix together the sour cream, onion, garlic, honey, clarified butter, coriander, cumin and Asian chili powder and rub well over the outside surface of the meat.
    5 Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
    6 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
    7 Transfer the lamb to an ovenproof dish, along with its marinade, and roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
    8 Reduce the heat to 300°F (150°C) and cook until the lamb is golden brown and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
    9 Remove the string from the roast, cut the lamb into 1-in (2.5-cm) slices and serve hot, drizzled with honey.

 
aromatic lamb with green peas and cumin
    Serves 6
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 30 minutes
This dish is so good that I often make extra portions to use the next day. Ground beef can be substituted for the lamb.
3 tablespoons