Lamb Curry

I really enjoy curry, especially when it's cold outside. The combination of spices and flavors works so well to warm you up inside. And there are so many ways to make it! There are entire cookbooks dedicated to different types of curry.

As much as I would love to experiment with them all, I'm admittedly hampered by ingredient availability (and that can a problem anywhere there's no good spice or Indian store). Those wonderful spices, curry's trademark, can be difficult to find. Where I live, I'm more likely to find kryptonite than fenugreek. Still, you can usually find enough ingredients to make a good, basic curry....which is what this recipe is.

I use premixed curry powder. I normally don't like pre-mixed seasonings, but finding curry powder in the stores here is much easier than finding each individual curry spice. If you use pre-mixed curry powder, be sure to check the ingredients in the spice mix. Look for a curry powder that at least has coriander, tumeric, fenugreek, cumin, nutmeg and cloves. If needed, you can always add the additional (and more common!) spices like black pepper and ginger separately.

Ingredients:
2 lbs lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces. I like lamb breast, cut conveniently into slices by the meat counter. It's inexpensive and makes for a very rich curry. However, lamb shoulder or lamb leg also works just fine.
1 whole onion, diced
2 hot green chiles, seeded and diced.
1 can diced tomatoes, or 3 medium tomatoes, diced.
1/4 c. vinegar
1 bay leaf
4 tsp. yellow curry powder.
Salt, to taste
2 tblsp. ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil.
Water (if needed)

Heat a 6-8 quart pot over medium/high heat. Add the ghee and onions, and cook until onions are translucent. Add the lamb, tomatoes, curry powder and vinegar and turn the heat down to medium/low. It should smell pretty sharp and vinegar-y at this point, but don't worry. The vinegar will mellow and loose some its sharpness while cooking. You can pour in a little water if needed, but don't overdo it. Curry shouldn't be soupy. Simmer over medium/low heat for 1 1/2-2 hours, until the meat is tender and the flavors are melded.

I've always heard that curry, like stew, tastes better the next day. Some people make it the day before, and reheat it on the day they actually plan to serve it. I personally can't do that. It smells so darned good while cooking that I can't wait. Serve it with a side of white rice or Indian flatbread (naan).