Railway Lamb Curry

Name: Railway Lamb Curry
Total time: 2 h 17 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp Cumin seeds; 300 g White onion; 6 clove Garlic; 30 g Fresh ginger; 300 g Plum tomatoes; 60 ml Ghee; 6 piece Green cardamom pods; 4 piece Cloves; 2 piece Cinnamon stick; 3 piece Bay leaf; 1 tsp Ground turmeric; 1 tsp Chilli powder; 1 tsp Ground black pepper; 120 ml Plain whole-milk yogurt; 1,000 g Bone-in lamb shoulder; 2 tsp Salt; 300 ml Water; 400 g potato cubes; 1 tsp Garam masala; 20 g fresh coriander

2 hr 17 min · 51 min active · makes ~2.65 kg · Medium

Railway Lamb Curry with bone-in shoulder, ghee, cinnamon and bay leaf creates a richly spiced sauce for four servings.

See more →

Railway Lamb Curry

Railway Lamb Curry with bone-in shoulder, ghee, cinnamon and bay leaf creates a richly spiced sauce for four servings.

See more →

TOTAL TIME

2 hr 17 min

ACTIVE TIME

51 min

QUANTITY

~2.65 kg

DIFFICULTY

Medium

CUISINE

—

Who’s eating

Cooking for A typical adult.

This should leave everyone comfortably full.

Portions & fullness

Ingredients0/21

Tools0/14

Ingredients

0/21 gathered · 4 servings

2tbsp

1tbsp

300g

6clove

30g

300g

60ml

6piece

4piece

2piece

3piece

1tsp

120ml

1,000g

2tsp

300ml

400g

1tsp

20g

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	2tbsp	—	—
2	1tbsp	—	—
3	300g	—	—
4	6clove	—	—
5	30g	—	—
6	300g	—	—
7	60ml	—	—
8	6piece	—	—
9	4piece	—	—
10	2piece	—	—
11	3piece	—	—
12	1tsp	—	—
13	1tsp	—	—
14	1tsp	—	—
15	120ml	—	—
16	1,000g	—	—
17	2tsp	—	—
18	300ml	—	—
19	400g	—	—
20	1tsp	—	—
21	20g	—	—

Tools

16 items

Serveware

1 item

Procedure

43 steps

1 of 43

Tip the coriander seeds into the dry frying pan.

Coriander seeds · 2 tbsp

⏱ 5s

ResultCoriander seeds

2 of 43

Stir the seeds over a medium heat until they smell fragrant and turn a shade darker.

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultToasted coriander seeds

3 of 43

Tip the cumin seeds into the same frying pan.

Cumin seeds · 1 tbsp

⏱ 5s

ResultToasted coriander seeds and cumin seeds

4 of 43

Keep stirring both spices over a medium heat for about a minute until they smell fragrant and are a shade darker.

⏱ 1 min

ResultToasted whole spices

5 of 43

Tip the toasted spices into the mortar and grind them to a fine powder with the pestle, then tip into the small bowl.

Toasted whole spices · step 4

⏱ 30s

ResultGround toasted spicesused in step 26

6 of 43

Halve each onion through the root and peel away the papery skin.

White onion · 300 g

⏱ 30s

ResultPeeled onion

7 of 43

Finely chop the peeled onions into small, even pieces.

Peeled onion · step 6

⏱ 1 min

ResultFinely chopped white onionused in step 22

8 of 43

Crush each garlic clove under the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.

Garlic · 6 clove

⏱ 30s

ResultPeeled garlic cloves

9 of 43

Rock the knife over the peeled cloves, gathering and repeating, until you have a fine mince.

Peeled garlic cloves · step 8

⏱ 40s

ResultFinely minced garlic

10 of 43

Scrape the minced garlic into the small bowl.

Finely minced garlic · step 9

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely minced garlic

11 of 43

Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.

Fresh ginger · 30 g

⏱ 20s

ResultPeeled fresh ginger

12 of 43

Slice the peeled ginger thinly across the grain, then chop the slices repeatedly until you have a very fine mince.

Peeled fresh ginger · step 11

⏱ 40s

ResultMinced ginger

13 of 43

Scrape the minced ginger into the small bowl with the garlic.

Minced ginger · step 12

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely minced garlic and minced gingerused in step 24

14 of 43

Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into chunky pieces, keeping all the juice on the board.

Plum tomatoes · 300 g

⏱ 45s

ResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoesused in step 31

15 of 43

Measure the ghee into the saucepan.

Ghee · 60 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultGhee

16 of 43

Set the pan over a medium-high heat and warm the ghee until it shimmers.

⏱ 1 min

ResultHot Ghee

17 of 43

Drop the cardamom pods into the hot ghee.

Green cardamom pods · 6 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultHot ghee and green cardamom pods

18 of 43

Add the cloves to the pan.

Cloves · 4 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultHot ghee and green cardamom pods and cloves

19 of 43

Break in the cinnamon sticks.

Cinnamon stick · 2 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultHot ghee and green cardamom pod mixture

20 of 43

Lay the bay leaves into the ghee.

Bay leaf · 3 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultHot ghee and green cardamom pod mixture

21 of 43

Stir the whole spices in the hot ghee for about a minute until the cardamom pods puff and everything smells fragrant.

⏱ 1 min

ResultBloomed whole spices

22 of 43

Tip the finely chopped onion into the pan with the bloomed spices.

Finely chopped white onion · step 7

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely chopped white onion and bloomed whole spices

23 of 43

Stir the onions regularly, scraping the base of the pan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until they are a deep, even golden brown.

⏱ 15 min

ResultDeeply golden onions

24 of 43

Add the minced garlic and ginger to the golden onions.

Finely minced garlic and minced ginger · step 13

⏱ 5s

ResultDeeply golden onions and finely minced garlic and minced ginger

25 of 43

Stir constantly and fry for 3 minutes until the raw smell of the garlic and ginger has gone and the paste is sticking to the pan.

⏱ 3 min

ResultFragrant onion base

26 of 43

Tip in the freshly ground cumin-coriander powder.

Ground toasted spices · step 5

⏱ 5s

ResultGround toasted spices and fragrant onion base

27 of 43

Sprinkle in the ground turmeric.

Ground turmeric · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultGround toasted spices and fragrant onion base and ground turmeric

28 of 43

Add the red chilli powder.

Chilli powder · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultGround toasted spice and fragrant onion base mixture

29 of 43

Add the ground black pepper.

Ground black pepper · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultGround toasted spice and fragrant onion base mixture

30 of 43

Stir all the ground spices into the onion paste and fry for 90 seconds, scraping constantly so they toast in the fat without burning.

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultSpiced onion masala

31 of 43

Add the roughly chopped plum tomatoes to the spiced masala.

Roughly chopped plum tomatoes · step 14

⏱ 5s

ResultSpiced onion masala and roughly chopped plum tomatoes

32 of 43

Stir and cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down as they soften, until the mixture has thickened to a deep, oily paste and the ghee begins to show at the edges.

⏱ 8 min

ResultThick tomato masala

33 of 43

Spoon the yogurt into the pan.

Plain whole-milk yogurt · 120 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultThick tomato masala and plain whole-milk yogurt

34 of 43

Stir the yogurt in vigorously and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is fully absorbed into the masala and the mixture is dry again.

⏱ 3 min

ResultYogurt-enriched masala

35 of 43

Add the bone-in lamb shoulder pieces to the pan, turning them to coat in the masala.

Bone-in lamb shoulder · 1,000 g

⏱ 10s

ResultYogurt-enriched masala and bone-in lamb shoulder

36 of 43

Season with the salt.

Salt · 2 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultYogurt-enriched masala and bone-in lamb shoulder and salt

37 of 43

Turn the lamb pieces with tongs every couple of minutes and cook over a high heat for about 8 minutes until every surface is well coloured and sealed.

⏱ 8 min

ResultBrowned masala-coated lamb

38 of 43

Pour in the water, scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pan.

Water · 300 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultBrowned masala-coated lamb and water

39 of 43

Bring to a boil, then set the heat to low, cover with the lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour until the lamb is very tender and beginning to fall from the bone.

⏱ 1 hr

ResultSlow-cooked lamb curry

40 of 43

Stir the potato cubes into the curry.

Potato cubes · 400 g

⏱ 5s

ResultSlow-cooked lamb curry and potato cubes

41 of 43

Replace the lid and continue to simmer over a low heat for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and have soaked up the sauce.

⏱ 20 min

ResultLamb curry with tender potatoes

42 of 43

Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.

Garam masala · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultLamb curry with tender potatoes and garam masala

43 of 43

Stir the garam masala through and cook uncovered for a final minute to let the finishing spice bloom in the heat.

⏱ 1 min

ResultFinished railway lamb curry

Total Time2 hr 17 min

#	Product	Action
1	2 tbsp	Tip the coriander seeds into the dry frying pan.⏱ 5sResultCoriander seeds
2	—	Stir the seeds over a medium heat until they smell fragrant and turn a shade darker.⏱ 1 min 30sResultToasted coriander seeds
3	1 tbsp	Tip the cumin seeds into the same frying pan.⏱ 5sResultToasted coriander seeds and cumin seeds
4	—	Keep stirring both spices over a medium heat for about a minute until they smell fragrant and are a shade darker.⏱ 1 minResultToasted whole spices
5	Toasted whole spicesstep 4	Tip the toasted spices into the mortar and grind them to a fine powder with the pestle, then tip into the small bowl.⏱ 30sResultGround toasted spicesused in step 26
6	300 g	Halve each onion through the root and peel away the papery skin.⏱ 30sResultPeeled onion
7	Peeled onionstep 6	Finely chop the peeled onions into small, even pieces.⏱ 1 minResultFinely chopped white onionused in step 22
8	6 clove	Crush each garlic clove under the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves
9	Peeled garlic clovesstep 8	Rock the knife over the peeled cloves, gathering and repeating, until you have a fine mince.⏱ 40sResultFinely minced garlic
10	Finely minced garlicstep 9	Scrape the minced garlic into the small bowl.⏱ 5sResultFinely minced garlic
11	30 g	Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.⏱ 20sResultPeeled fresh ginger
12	Peeled fresh gingerstep 11	Slice the peeled ginger thinly across the grain, then chop the slices repeatedly until you have a very fine mince.⏱ 40sResultMinced ginger
13	Minced gingerstep 12	Scrape the minced ginger into the small bowl with the garlic.⏱ 5sResultFinely minced garlic and minced gingerused in step 24
14	300 g	Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into chunky pieces, keeping all the juice on the board.⏱ 45sResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoesused in step 31
15	60 ml	Measure the ghee into the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultGhee
16	—	Set the pan over a medium-high heat and warm the ghee until it shimmers.⏱ 1 minResultHot Ghee
17	6 piece	Drop the cardamom pods into the hot ghee.⏱ 5sResultHot ghee and green cardamom pods
18	4 piece	Add the cloves to the pan.⏱ 5sResultHot ghee and green cardamom pods and cloves
19	2 piece	Break in the cinnamon sticks.⏱ 5sResultHot ghee and green cardamom pod mixture
20	3 piece	Lay the bay leaves into the ghee.⏱ 5sResultHot ghee and green cardamom pod mixture
21	—	Stir the whole spices in the hot ghee for about a minute until the cardamom pods puff and everything smells fragrant.⏱ 1 minResultBloomed whole spices
22	Finely chopped white onionstep 7	Tip the finely chopped onion into the pan with the bloomed spices.⏱ 5sResultFinely chopped white onion and bloomed whole spices
23	—	Stir the onions regularly, scraping the base of the pan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until they are a deep, even golden brown.⏱ 15 minResultDeeply golden onions
24	Finely minced garlic and minced gingerstep 13	Add the minced garlic and ginger to the golden onions.⏱ 5sResultDeeply golden onions and finely minced garlic and minced ginger
25	—	Stir constantly and fry for 3 minutes until the raw smell of the garlic and ginger has gone and the paste is sticking to the pan.⏱ 3 minResultFragrant onion base
26	Ground toasted spicesstep 5	Tip in the freshly ground cumin-coriander powder.⏱ 5sResultGround toasted spices and fragrant onion base
27	1 tsp	Sprinkle in the ground turmeric.⏱ 5sResultGround toasted spices and fragrant onion base and ground turmeric
28	1 tsp	Add the red chilli powder.⏱ 5sResultGround toasted spice and fragrant onion base mixture
29	1 tsp	Add the ground black pepper.⏱ 5sResultGround toasted spice and fragrant onion base mixture
30	—	Stir all the ground spices into the onion paste and fry for 90 seconds, scraping constantly so they toast in the fat without burning.⏱ 1 min 30sResultSpiced onion masala
31	Roughly chopped plum tomatoesstep 14	Add the roughly chopped plum tomatoes to the spiced masala.⏱ 5sResultSpiced onion masala and roughly chopped plum tomatoes
32	—	Stir and cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down as they soften, until the mixture has thickened to a deep, oily paste and the ghee begins to show at the edges.⏱ 8 minResultThick tomato masala
33	120 ml	Spoon the yogurt into the pan.⏱ 5sResultThick tomato masala and plain whole-milk yogurt
34	—	Stir the yogurt in vigorously and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is fully absorbed into the masala and the mixture is dry again.⏱ 3 minResultYogurt-enriched masala
35	1,000 g	Add the bone-in lamb shoulder pieces to the pan, turning them to coat in the masala.⏱ 10sResultYogurt-enriched masala and bone-in lamb shoulder
36	2 tsp	Season with the salt.⏱ 5sResultYogurt-enriched masala and bone-in lamb shoulder and salt
37	—	Turn the lamb pieces with tongs every couple of minutes and cook over a high heat for about 8 minutes until every surface is well coloured and sealed.⏱ 8 minResultBrowned masala-coated lamb
38	300 ml	Pour in the water, scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pan.⏱ 5sResultBrowned masala-coated lamb and water
39	—	Bring to a boil, then set the heat to low, cover with the lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour until the lamb is very tender and beginning to fall from the bone.⏱ 1 hrResultSlow-cooked lamb curry
40	400 g	Stir the potato cubes into the curry.⏱ 5sResultSlow-cooked lamb curry and potato cubes
41	—	Replace the lid and continue to simmer over a low heat for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and have soaked up the sauce.⏱ 20 minResultLamb curry with tender potatoes
42	1 tsp	Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.⏱ 5sResultLamb curry with tender potatoes and garam masala
43	—	Stir the garam masala through and cook uncovered for a final minute to let the finishing spice bloom in the heat.⏱ 1 minResultFinished railway lamb curry
Total Time		2 hr 17 min

Serving

Ladle the curry generously into a warm serving bowl, making sure each portion gets pieces of lamb, potato and plenty of the sauce.
Tear the fresh coriander roughly and scatter it over the top of the curry to finish. The green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf are there for flavour; don't eat them.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 95% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	833kcal
	57g
	51g
	24g
	36g
	9g
	7g
	1,390mg

Ingredients0/21

Tools0/14

Recipe

Railway Lamb Curry

Railway Lamb Curry with bone-in shoulder, ghee, cinnamon and bay leaf creates a richly spiced sauce for four servings.

What you’ll doYou will toast and grind whole spices, then finely mince aromatics. Bloom whole cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in ghee, cook the onions until deep gold, add the garlic-ginger paste, fry the ground spices, stew the tomatoes into a thick masala, stir in yogurt, sear the lamb, then braise it covered for an hour until tender before adding potatoes for a final 20 minutes. The finished dish is garnished with garam masala and fresh coriander.

Serves4

Total2 hr 17 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

Coriander seeds2 tbsp
Cumin seeds1 tbsp
White onion300 g
Garlic6 clove
Fresh ginger30 g
Plum tomatoes300 g
Ghee60 ml
Green cardamom pods6 piece
Cloves4 piece
Cinnamon stick2 piece
Bay leaf3 piece
Ground turmeric1 tsp
Chilli powder1 tsp
Ground black pepper1 tsp
Plain whole-milk yogurt120 ml
Bone-in lamb shoulder1,000 g
Salt2 tsp
Water300 ml
Potato cubes400 g
Garam masala1 tsp
Fresh coriander20 g

Tools

Small frying panPan lidTongsWork surfacePestle and mortarGarlic bowl (small bowl)Ground bowl (small bowl)Large heavy based saucepanChef's knifeWooden spoonSpice grinderPeelerLadleServing bowlChopping boardMortar pestle

Method

Tip the coriander seeds into the dry frying pan.

5sSmall frying panCoriander seeds · 2 tbsp

Stir the seeds over a medium heat until they smell fragrant and turn a shade darker.

1 min 30sSmall frying pan, Wooden spoon

Tip the cumin seeds into the same frying pan.

5sSmall frying panCumin seeds · 1 tbsp

Keep stirring both spices over a medium heat for about a minute until they smell fragrant and are a shade darker.

1 minSmall frying pan, Wooden spoon

Tip the toasted spices into the mortar and grind them to a fine powder with the pestle, then tip into the small bowl.

Result · Ground toasted spices · used in step 26

30sGround bowl (small bowl), Mortar pestleToasted whole spices · step 4

Halve each onion through the root and peel away the papery skin.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeWhite onion · 300 g

Finely chop the peeled onions into small, even pieces.

Result · Finely chopped white onion · used in step 22

1 minChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled onion · step 6

Crush each garlic clove under the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeGarlic · 6 clove

Rock the knife over the peeled cloves, gathering and repeating, until you have a fine mince.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled garlic cloves · step 8

Scrape the minced garlic into the small bowl.

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Finely minced garlic · step 9

Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.

20sChopping board, PeelerFresh ginger · 30 g

Slice the peeled ginger thinly across the grain, then chop the slices repeatedly until you have a very fine mince.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled fresh ginger · step 11

Scrape the minced ginger into the small bowl with the garlic.

Result · Finely minced garlic and minced ginger · used in step 24

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Minced ginger · step 12

Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into chunky pieces, keeping all the juice on the board.

Result · Roughly chopped plum tomatoes · used in step 31

45sChopping board, Work surface, Chefs knifePlum tomatoes · 300 g

Measure the ghee into the saucepan.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGhee · 60 ml

Set the pan over a medium-high heat and warm the ghee until it shimmers.

1 minLarge heavy based saucepan

Drop the cardamom pods into the hot ghee.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGreen cardamom pods · 6 piece

Add the cloves to the pan.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanCloves · 4 piece

Break in the cinnamon sticks.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanCinnamon stick · 2 piece

Lay the bay leaves into the ghee.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanBay leaf · 3 piece

Stir the whole spices in the hot ghee for about a minute until the cardamom pods puff and everything smells fragrant.

1 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Tip the finely chopped onion into the pan with the bloomed spices.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanFinely chopped white onion · step 7

Stir the onions regularly, scraping the base of the pan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until they are a deep, even golden brown.

15 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Add the minced garlic and ginger to the golden onions.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanFinely minced garlic and minced ginger · step 13

Stir constantly and fry for 3 minutes until the raw smell of the garlic and ginger has gone and the paste is sticking to the pan.

3 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Tip in the freshly ground cumin-coriander powder.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround toasted spices · step 5

Sprinkle in the ground turmeric.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround turmeric · 1 tsp

Add the red chilli powder.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanChilli powder · 1 tsp

Add the ground black pepper.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround black pepper · 1 tsp

Stir all the ground spices into the onion paste and fry for 90 seconds, scraping constantly so they toast in the fat without burning.

1 min 30sLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Add the roughly chopped plum tomatoes to the spiced masala.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanRoughly chopped plum tomatoes · step 14

Stir and cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down as they soften, until the mixture has thickened to a deep, oily paste and the ghee begins to show at the edges.

8 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Spoon the yogurt into the pan.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanPlain whole-milk yogurt · 120 ml

Stir the yogurt in vigorously and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is fully absorbed into the masala and the mixture is dry again.

3 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Add the bone-in lamb shoulder pieces to the pan, turning them to coat in the masala.

10sLarge heavy based saucepanBone-in lamb shoulder · 1,000 g

Season with the salt.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanSalt · 2 tsp

Turn the lamb pieces with tongs every couple of minutes and cook over a high heat for about 8 minutes until every surface is well coloured and sealed.

8 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Tongs

Pour in the water, scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pan.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanWater · 300 ml

Bring to a boil, then set the heat to low, cover with the lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour until the lamb is very tender and beginning to fall from the bone.

1 hrLarge heavy based saucepan, Pan lid

Stir the potato cubes into the curry.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanPotato cubes · 400 g

Replace the lid and continue to simmer over a low heat for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and have soaked up the sauce.

20 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Pan lid

Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.

5sLarge heavy based saucepanGaram masala · 1 tsp

Stir the garam masala through and cook uncovered for a final minute to let the finishing spice bloom in the heat.

1 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon

Ladle the curry generously into a warm serving bowl, making sure each portion gets pieces of lamb, potato and plenty of the sauce.

20sServing bowl, LadleFinished railway lamb curry · step 43

Tear the fresh coriander roughly and scatter it over the top of the curry to finish. The green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf are there for flavour; don't eat them.

Result · Railway Lamb Curry

15sServing bowlFresh coriander · 20 g

Printed 7 October 2026