Rich and Thick Lamb Curry | Recipe

Every trip to Kolkata should include a visit to Golbari in Shyam Bazar, an establishment famous for its kosha mangsho. The lamb pieces are cooked with spices over a long period of time, making the gravy thick and intensely rich and delicious. Everyone who makes kosha mangsho aspires to achieve this flavour, as it’s difficult to forget once you’ve tried it. The dish is a firm favourite served up at most weddings and family gatherings. Traditionally, the wedding meal is served on a banana leaf. Rows and rows of banana leaves will be laid out on long tables and servers come round with silver dishes to serve the guests. Several sittings will take place in the evening to accommodate everyone. There will be a pinch of salt (as Benaglis love to add salt to their meal when eating), chillies and lemon or lime. It’s a clever novelty: cheap, because of the vast numbers of banana trees in India; eco-friendly; and easy to dispose of with very little to wash up (a boon as we have such large numbers at weddings).

Ingredients

• 750g lamb leg, deboned, cut into 3-cm cubes
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil or rapeseed (canola) oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 black cardamom pod, lightly crushed
• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 whole mace
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1-cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 250g chopped tomatoes, mashed into a chunky, thick paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon ghee

For the marinade

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1-cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 3 tablespoons Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil or rapeseed (canola) oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala

Method

Blitz the onion, ginger and garlic for the marinade in a blender until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining marinade ingredients and combine. Add the lamb cubes and mix really well, ensuring all the pieces are well coated in the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight is ideal).

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, dried chillies and the mace, stir gently and let the aromas release. After 

1 minute, stir in the onions and sugar. Cover the pan and cook until the onions lightly brown, stirring occasionally. Add the ginger and stir for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes, increase the heat to medium–high and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 2 minutes, then add the marinated lamb and mix well. Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and salt, stir well and cook over a high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, letting the gravy gently simmer. Stir every 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, sprinkle the garam masala around the dish and stir well. Re-cover and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to high. Cook until the remaining gravy condenses and the oil starts to release, then add the ghee and stir. Cook for a final 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and cover until ready to serve. Serve with rice.