Lamb and spinach korai

This dish is a great comfort food for a cold night in, especially after a long afternoon walk. Pop it in the oven before you go, ready for you to return home to a welcoming and enticing aroma! If you manage not to eat it all, then it freezes really well, which in fact helps to intensify the flavour.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150g Lucy Bee coconut oil
• 550g onions, chopped
• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
• 120ml water
• 50g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 65g garlic cloves, chopped
• 900g boneless shoulder or leg of lamb, cut into 4cm cubes
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 350g spinach leaves
• 4 medium green chillies, stalks removed, left whole
• 50g fresh coriander, chopped
• ½ tbsp garam masala (see book page 181)

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and light brown.

2. Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a food processor and blend until smooth. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked onions to the paste and blend briefly until smooth.

3. Return the paste to the coconut oil left in the pan, then stir in the lamb and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and cook until the lamb is tender, 30–45 minutes if using shoulder or 45–60 if using leg. Add a little water now and then if the sauce starts to stick.

4. Put half the spinach leaves into a large pan and cook until wilted. Blitz with a little water in the food processor, to a smooth purée. Add to the sauce with the remaining spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Rinse out the food processor, tip in the whole chillies and 2–3 tbsp water and blend until smooth. Taste the curry and add as much of this chilli purée as you wish, depending on how hot you like it. Alternatively, put a bowl of chilli purée on the table and allow each person to add as much as they like.

6. Stir in the fresh coriander and garam masala, then transfer to a serving dish just before serving, with Tarka Dhal (see page 95) or Indian-style Potatoes (see page 118).

From Coconut Oil: Nature’s Perfect Ingredient. Recipe text © 2015 Lucy Bee Limited.