lamb curry (serves 6-8)

2 lb lamb chopped/diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ghee (can use butter/margarine/whatever as substitute)
1 cup coconut milk (2/3 cup coconut cream if you want a richer curry)
1 chopped red chili
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
8 curry leaves
1 can crushed tomatoes (you can use diced as well, chopped whole tomatoes also work)
2 cups stock (i use homemade beef bone broth, veggie stock works fine too)
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cardamom seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
6 cloves (whole, not ground)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp turmeric
chili flakes (add to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (i have used peanut butter powder and ground hazelnuts in place of this and they both work surprisingly well. i think allspice would work too, never tried it though)
salt, black pepper (add to taste)


curry powder:
1. combine coriander/fenugreek/mustard/cumin/cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon
2. fry without oil for ~1 min
3. pour spice mix into mortar+pestle
4. add chili flakes, nutmeg, turmeric powder, bay leaf
5. grind to a fine powder
(if you don't have a mortar/pestle, just improvise with a bowl and a mug with a wide, flat bottom - grind spices with bottom of mug)

curry:
1. add half of ghee to pan, brown lamb in ghee in medium heat (don't brown too much, you'll be adding the lamb back in later)
2. remove lamb and set aside
3. add rest of ghee to pan
4. add ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric, curry leaves
5. sautee for ~1 min
6. add 4 tbsp curry powder (3 is okay if you want milder flavor, although the coconut milk/cream softens the spice anyway)
7. add lamb back to pan
8. stir
9. add tomatoes and stock, stir
10. bring to low heat, simmer until lamb is tender (usually between 1-1.5 hours)
11. add coconut milk and stir until curry sauce is thick and uniform

serve and enjoy :]