Mary Berry shared her “mild, sweet and rich” lamb dhansak recipe, which is the perfect dish for those who don’t like their curry too hot.
Made with meat, lentils and warming spices, the lamb dhansak is the ideal meal to cook in large portions.
This is because leaving the lamb to marinate for longer in the spices leads to an enhanced flavour the next day.
It’s no secret that a curry tastes even better the second day after you’ve made it.
Here’s how to make Mary Berry’s Indian lamb dhansak curry that only takes 30 minutes to prepare.
Lamb dhansak
- Prep: less than 30 mins
- Cooks in: one to two hours
- Serves: six people
Ingredients
- Three tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 kg diced lamb shoulder or leg, or a mixture of both
- Two onions, chopped
- 25g fresh root ginger, peeled
- Four garlic cloves, peeled
- Two red chillies, seeds removed, chopped
- 10 green cardamom pods
- One-and-a-half tbsp ground cumin
- One-and-a-half tbsp ground coriander
- Half a tbsp ground turmeric
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 200ml oz beef stock
- 75g red lentils
- Three tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper
To serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan/300F/gas three). Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.
Add the lamb and fry in two batches until browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion and fry for four to five minutes, or until beginning to soften.
Meanwhile, place the ginger, garlic and chilli into a small food processor and blend until finely chopped. Bash the cardamom pods with the end of a rolling pin to split the husks, then remove the seeds and grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar.
Add to the pan with the remaining spices and the garlic and ginger mixture. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and add the lamb.
Bring to the boil, then cover and place in the oven to simmer for one-and-a-half to two hours, or until tender. Check the seasoning and serve with boiled rice.
