But, there is a catch! Interestingly, this fiery lamb curry, or rather, madras curry is relatively unknown in India. Surprisingly, lamb madras was invented in British-Indian restaurants, where its rich and robust flavors quickly captivated the taste buds of diners. Much like chicken tikka masala, this indo-brit dish is a true example of how cooking evolves across borders. I make a variety of south indian curries, such as chettinad chicken, coconut chicken curry, or malabar shrimp curry because my husband adores their flavors. He spent a considerable amount of time in what was once known as Madras (now Chennai), and grew to love the authentic south Indian spices and tastes. Last year, we came across madras lamb curry (also known as lamb madrass) on the menu of a newly opened Indian restaurant nearby, and he was thrilled! I have been working on recreating it at home for a few months now. The distinct flavors of this south indian lamb dish stand in stark contrast to the north Indian lamb curry, goat curry, or bhuna gosht that I commonly make at home. While north indian lamb curries often feature rich, yogurt based gravies with focus on aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala, this lamb madras curry showcases a bolder, spicier character from a fresh sauce base made with a paste of fiery red chillies,piquant spices such fenugreek seeds and nutty white poppy seeds. It is a rich, spicy curry set to delight your taste buds and leave you craving for more!
Recipe Development
It took me 6-7 trials to finally achieve out the flavors that we enjoy in this lamb madras recipe. The madras sauce has a predominent kick that will hit your tastebuds first thing. As you savor it, you’ll notice the citrusy, aromatic notes of fresh curry leaves and star anise, complemented by the tanginess of ripe tomatoes. Below are few more notes from my recipe testing endeavors.
Ingredients
Lamb - I found bone in lamb stew meat(yay!) at the store and I used it. Boneless lamb leg or lamb shoulder cut into about 1.5 to 2 inch pieces work great. Meat from both these areas can stand long cooking. Dried Red Chilies - The star ingredient! I use dry cayenne peppers and they are fiery! Use any hot variety of dry red chili. We are going to grind them whole- seeds and all and they give a kick to the sauce. Whole Spices - There are a bunch of them and most like coriander seeds, cloves, green cardamom, black peppercorns, star anise,cinnamon, fennel seeds and cumin seeds are easy to find. If you cannot find fenugreek seeds, simply use mustard seeds (black or yellow) in its place for a nutty & piquant flavor. Curry Leaves - A must have in south indian curries if you ask me. These are available in indian grocery stores in fresh and dried forms. You could find dried curry leaves online too. Hard to substitute, skip if you cannot find. Onions - I use red onions in my cooking. Yellow onions are good to use too. Tomatoes - I use roma tomatoes. Use any variety of tomatoes as long as they aren’t too sour. White Poppy Seeds - They give the sauce a thickish texture and a nutty taste. Omit if you do not have at home. Cooking Oil - Use a neutral cooking oil. I use avocado oil. Avoid cococut oil unless you want a coconut flavor in your sauce.
Instructions
Prepare The Madras Spice Paste
Cook Lamb Madras
Recipe Tips
Lamb - Use a lamb shoulder or lamb leg. Meat from both those areas has enough fat to keep the meat moist during cooking and become tender when cooked slowly. Thaw The Meat - Always, thaw the meat if its frozen. Additionally, don’t cook cold meat. I recommend pulling out the meat out of the refrigerator at least 45 minutes prior to when you begin cooking. Spices - Make sure that the whole spices do not become brown when you toast them, else the sauce may get a bitter after taste. Don’t Skimp on Red Chilies- Madras curry is known for its heat. If you reduce the quantity of chilies tremendously or omit them, the true taste of lamb madras wont come through. However, you can reduce the level of heat to your preference. If desired, you could finish lamb madras with unsweetened coconut milk to tame the spices and for creaminess.
What to Serve With
Rice - We love south indian style dishes mostly with rice- you could make jeera rice, steamed basmati rice or peas rice. Lamb madras also pairs well with mildly spiced pulao recipes such as egg pulao. Flatbreads- I prefer it with plain parathas or tandoori rotis over naan, but again it is your choice. To keep the meal gluten free, you could also make oats roti. Vegetable Sides - Serve indian dry curries such as aloo palak, matar aloo or spring onion sabzi as sides. Sides - It is a fiery dish. Serve cooling sides such as refreshing kachumber salad or raita to balance the heat. Drinks - Indian style mango lemonade is a great pairing!
