Lamb and apricot curry - Rhodes Across India (uktvfood)

Ingredients:

200g pitted Dried apricots
2 medium Potatoes, floury
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
2 large Onions, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cm Ginger, finely grated
500g boneless lamb, from the shoulder, cut into 4cm cubes
1/4 tsp ground Turmeric
1 tsp mild chilli powder, preferably Kashmiri
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 Tomatoes, skins removed, de-seeded and chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 sprigs Mint, leaves shredded

Method

:

1. Soak the apricots in 300ml water for at least four hours.

2. Cut the potato into matchstick shreds. Heat a 2.5cm depth of oil in a heavy casserole pan. Fry the potato shreds in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

3. Carefully drain off the oil, leaving behind about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the onions to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until soft and golden before stirring in the garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute before adding the lamb.

4. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder and cumin. Fry for a minute before adding the cinnamon stick. Pour over enough water to barely cover and simmer for 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes until the lamb is tender and the masala thickened. Add extra water if the curry needs it and stir regularly as it cooks.

5. Prepare the apricots while the curry is simmering. Heat the sugar in a small pan and cook until it turns a deep caramel. Add the soaked apricots, along with their soaking liquid and remove from the heat.

6. When the lamb is tender, stir in the tomatoes and the apricots with their syrup. Reheat and scatter with the potato matchstick strips. Scatter with chopped coriander and mint leaves and bring to the table.

This is a Parsee dish, and you can find some other Indian regional recipes at:
http://www.indianfoodsco.com/RecipesRegionalIndian/Parsee or Zorastrian Recipes.htm