Afghani Lamb Curry with Chappati Bread

Could any dish be more simple than this mild fragrant Afghani curry?  I don't think so!  Slow cooked tender lamb with the subtle tones of cinnamon and nutmeg make this one stand out.  Served with saffron rice and homemade chappati bread this is a definite winner, either mid week or as an impressive dinner party dish.

You will need:

Serves 4

For the Curry

11/2 tbs vegetable oil
1kg diced lamb shoulder
1 lge brown onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
juice of 1/2 a lemon
400gm tin of diced tomatoes
1 cup salt reduced beef stock
1 tsp sugar
150gm baby spinach leaves
1tbs grated lemon zest
4 tbs natural yoghurt to serve

For the Saffron Rice

20gm of butter
1 tbs oil
1 eschallot, finely diced
11/2 cups of basmati rice
3 cups of water
1 pinch of saffron or saffron powder
Sea salt

For the Chappati

500gm of wholemeal flour
salt
water

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and brown the lamb in batches, drain on paper towel and set aside.  In the same pan, lightly fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant and add the onion, gently frying until translucent.  Add the turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and chilli flakes and cook gently for 1 minute.  Place the lamb back in the frypan and add the beef stock, tomatoes, lemon juice and sugar, bring the curry to a simmer, pop the lid on and allow to cook for approx 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid, give a stir and have a taste.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary and allow the liquid to reduce for approx 15 minutes with the lid off.  Add the baby spinach and place the lid on again until the spinach has softened.  Stir the spinach through and serve topped with the lemon rind and yoghurt.

To make the rice heat the oil and butter in a heavy based saucepan.   Rinse the rice in a strainer really well under the tap and drain. Fry the eschallot until translucent and add the rice.  Stir the rice continuously for about 1 minute until all the grains are shiny and coated.  Add the saffron, salt and water and bring to the boil.  Give it a stir, pop the lid on and reduce the heat and simmer for approx 12 minutes.  Take off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.

Place the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre and gradually add water a little at a time until a dough starts to form.  Once the dough is formed allow to stand for 15 minutes before dividing into 8 equal portions.  Dust the bench and a rolling pin with a little flour before rolling out each portion to approx 3mm thick.  Heat a pan or griddle pan and dry fry the bread until golden on each side.  You can keep it warm by wrapping it in foil and placing in a 160 degree pre heated oven.

It is nice to serve this banquet style with a crisp green salad.  You may also like to cook pappadums and serve the curry with the yoghurt on the side to give people the choice.