This curry is so quick and easy that the recipe fits on a scribbled sheet of tiny notepaper, one which was stuck into my scrapbook of recipes* by my sister so I'd stop asking her for the recipe every week. We really do make it that frequently - it's a delicious curry, really simple to make, and perfect for a midweek dinner. For a bigger feast we serve it with rice and another curry - such as the aubergine one in the picture from Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey book - or garlic and chilli lentils, but more regularly just piled on top of chapatti or naan, with yoghurt and fresh coriander.    


Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
Zest of one lemon
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
300g lamb mince
Juice of one lemon
1 red chilli
1 green chilli
2 large tomatoes, or approx. half a tin of chopped tomatoes

What to do:

1. Make a paste from the oil, lemon zest, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and coriander, then heat it in a pan (with a lid). When hot, add the lamb mince and stir until browned.

2. Add the juice of one lemon, two finely chopped tomatoes (or about half a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes), and the whole chillies. Turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid partially covering the pan for about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the lid, stir the curry, and fish the chillies out. (Just in case anyone's interested, at this point I take out a toddler portion to be mixed with yoghurt and served with fingers of chapatti.) Slice the chillies and add them back into the curry, to taste. Leave to simmer for about 4-5 minutes while you heat up breads etc, then serve with yoghurt and fresh coriander.



*Volume one of five - this recipe has been around for quite a while and is still a steadfast favourite!