Ingredients:
4 large chopped onions
4 cloves garlic
1 - 2" long piece of chopped fresh ginger
3 tbsp ground almonds
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
4-6 fresh green chillies
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
300ml/.5 pint/1.25 natural (plain) beaten yogurt
1.8kb/4lb leg of lamb
8-10 cloves
4 firm halved and grilled tomatoes to serve
watercress to garnish
1 tbsp flaked (slivered) almonds to garnish
Method:
- Place the first 11 ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Gradually add the yogurt and blend until smooth.
- Grease a large, deep baking tray and preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
- Remove most of the fat and skin from the lamb. Using a sharp knife, make deep pockets above the bone at each side of the thick end. Make deep diagonal gashes on both sides. Push the cloves into the leg of lamb at random.
- Place lamb on baking tray and push some of the spice mixture into the pockets and gashes. Spread the remaining spice mixture evenly all over the lamb. Loosely cover the whole tray with foil.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 2-2.5 hours or until the lamb is cooked, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- Serve with grilled tomatoes, garnished with watercress and garnish the joint with the flaked almonds.
This superb dish is just one of many fine examples of the fabulously rich food once enjoyed by Moghul emperors.