I have also included instructions for making this authentic north indian curry recipe using an instant pot & pressure cooker for days when we all feel the time crunch! Serve the slow-cooked lamb curry with rotis or paratha , jeera rice or steamed basmati rice for a delicious meal. Sunday lunches in our home are reserved for indian curry dishes, with this meaty indian-style lamb shoulder recipe or indian goat curry often taking center stage on our menu. This lamb curry no coconut milk is true blue north indian style and you will love its intense flavors. Lamb is relatively less popular in India compared to mutton meat. I grew up eating mutton or goat meat dishes back there. However my husband & kids are enthusiastic about anything lamb-related. So, drawing from my experience in cooking mutton & goat, I have crafted a collection of lamb recipes over the years, including a delightful rogan josh (braised lamb dish), lamb saagwala (spinach lamb curry), slow cooked lamb madras and an aromatic indian lamb stew. It is much easier to find lamb meat here in US than mutton or goat. This slow cooked lamb curry does take a bit longer to make but the rich & deep flavors of the sauce are really worth the effort. Our first tasting of lamb happened in one of the buffets here in Las Vegas. We instantly loved it- especially him and thats how I started cooking it at home. In the initial years, we used to buy lamb for curries from middle eastern grocers. However in the past 4-5 years or so it is much easier to find variety of lamb cuts in American stores.
Why you will love this Recipe
Easy To make- There are no complicated techniques in this recipe. You don’t need to grind spice powders or make marinades. We are going to use simple ingredients & make an aromatic onion tomato base by caramelizing onions, ginger & garlic, yogurt and spices. Slow Cooking - Most indian meat dishes made with mutton or goat meat have the best taste due to slow cooking. The flavors develop gently and by the end, the sauce has a fuller rich taste. The slow cooking allows ample time so that the spices get time to infuse into the lamb meat. Simple Ingredients :- You need everyday indian spices & ingredients for this recipe.You probably have everything at home right now. There are no special ingredients needed to make it. You can skip any spices (like mace) if you dont have at home. Authentic Taste - It is a traditional north indian (punjabi style) lamb preparation and tastes comforting and homestyle. Has balanced flavors - This lamb curry is nicely spiced (without being too hot) & tangy(from yogurt) with hint of fragrant spices in every bite. Easily Customizable - If you are in a rush, use Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to make it. I have included instructions at the end. If you dont want to use yogurt, use coconut milk instead. Dont have all the spices in your cabinet - use what you got and it will work beautifully, I promise! Works for different kinds of meats (Versatility) - You can use goat meat, mutton, pork or beef instead of lamb. You will only need to adjust the cooking times depending on cut and kind of meat.
Ingredients (Notes & Substitutions)
Lamb (trimmed & skinless)- I use boneless lamb shoulder. If you cannot find shoulder, leg of lamb work great as well. Good quality meat is the key to best tasting lamb curry- please try and purchase meat from your trusted store or butcher. Whole Spices - Bay leaf, dried chilies, Cinnamon stick, Mace, Cumin, Black cardamom, Cloves. These spices are common in indian kitchens or if you frequently cook indian food, you probably already have these spices in your cabinet. (Read tips section) Powdered Spices - Coriander, Red Chili, Turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli (or paprika) and garam masala. Make sure that the spices are not too old. Yogurt- We need whole milk plain yogurt. Greek yogurt or hung curd is fine too. I like using indian style malai top dahi available in indian stores. Indian curd or dahi has a slight tang which really cuts the richness of meat curries. Onions - You can use any kind of onions at home- red, white or yellow. Browning the onions is an important step in this recipe because it lends the mild sweetness as well as contributes to the color of the curry. Ginger & Garlic - Simply mince together equal parts of fresh peeled ginger and garlic in a small blender or mortar pestle. You can use store bought ginger garlic paste as well. Tomato - We dont need a lot, just one for a little acidic sweetness of tomatoes. Most south asians dont prefer meat curries with tomato, so you can leave it out completely. Oil- Since this is a north indian punjabi style lamb curry, I use mustard oil for authentic flavor. However, I fully understand that mustard oil is sharp and an acquired taste for many so you may use avocado or grape seeds oil or any cooking oil you use at home. Ghee - For finishing. Can be skipped
Which Part (Cut) of Lamb is best for Indian Curry?
Instructions
How to Make Lamb Curry on Stove Top (Step by Step)
For cooking lamb on stove top, a wide mouthed dutch oven or any heavy pot (with lid) is the best utensil to cook. Add the powdered spices next and stir around so that the spices coat the lamb. Note:- If you are using mustard oil, make sure that you let heat till its a little smoky. Tip:- While browning the onions, avoid stirring them too much. The less you stir them, the better they will brown. Slice the tomato in half and add on top of the lamb. Cover the pot for 15 minutes. After about 12 minutes, open the lid and using tongs peel off the skin of the tomatoes. Tomatoes will be soft, smush them and mix. (You can chop the tomatoes if you wish) Now, add 1 to 1.5 cup of water and cover the pot again for about 1 to 1.25 hours or so and let simmer. You will need to keep an eye and stir frequently. Once the lamb is quite tender (95 percent cooked), add the whisked yogurt and garam masala.Mix well. Cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes more until lamb is fork tender. Finish with ghee and chopped cilantro
Lamb Curry In Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Using Instant pot :- Set the IP on saute mode. Add the oil. Let warm. Add the whole spices and onions. Let the onions brown. Then add the cumin, ginger garlic paste, powdered spices and chopped tomatoes. Cook this masala sauce for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes soften a little. Add the lamb next and sprinkle salt. Stir to coat the lamb with masala. Saute for 5-6 minutes until its not pink. Then add 1 to 1.5 cup water making sure that the lamb is covered in liquid. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Add the whisked yogurt along with garam masala. Mix well and let cook on saute mode for 7 to 8 minutes till the sauce is nice and bubbly. You will notice that the sauce will have a nice color. Finish with ghee & chopped cilantro. Using Stove Pressure Cooker - All the steps noted above remain the same. Pressure cook for 7-8 whistles for about 20-25 minutes. Note: - Please adjust the timings I noted as per the size of the lamb chunks and how tender you like it. We dont like meat falling apart so these times noted are accordingly.
My tips to Make a Great Lamb Curry
Use trimmed lamb meat. You dont want to fatty curry. It is unappetizing and quite heavy. If you can find bone in lamb, that is ideal for making curry since the bones boost the flavor the sauce. In fact I suggest, adding 3-4 trimmed lamb chops while making this curry. I do it many times. The chop bones give a wonderful deep flavor of the sauce. Black cardamom - I like using woody black cardamom in meat dishes however you can use green cardamom pods if you have those in the pantry. Both these cardamom have a very different flavor profile and though they aren’t exactly a substitute for each other, they do lend a wonderful flavor to lamb curry in their own way. You can add curry powder + garam masala instead of different powdered spices. Onions - Brown them to a deep shade but dont let them get black else there will be a bitter hint in your sauce. Secondly dont be tempted to add a lot of onions - your sauce will become sweet. Tomatoes - Ideally, in indian curries, tomatoes are added to introduce a little acidic tang. Too much tomato overpowers the taste of meat and makes it very tangy. Variations - You can add vegetables like potato chunks, cauliflower florets or taro root towards the last 10-15 minutes to make this lamb curry more hearty. You can also add some peas at the very end.
Troubleshooting
If by chance you feel that the sauce is too thin by the time the curry has finished cooking, simply take out the cooked lamb pieces in a plate and reduce the sauce by simmering it. Add back the lamb once the sauce is of desired consistency. The sauce got a bit too salty? Just add a few potatoes towards the end of cooking. The potatoes will absorb the extra salt.
