Lamb curry with bulgur pilaf

What a busy couple of weeks it has been! This last week especially has been a week of pizzas and take away because I couldn't whip up the energy to do the day to day cooking. It feels like today was the first free day I've had in a long time. The day started late following a restful lie-in. I meant to spend most of it in the kitchen but a short visit to the bank ended up turning into a day of shopping. It was late when I got back home, but I still wanted to make something nice for dinner. It was mostly driven by my guilt of having eaten out so much.

Anyway what I ended up making was a lamb curry (being a vegetarian, this was not for me) and a simple pilaf using bulgur. I mostly use the pressure cooker for anything that takes a long time to cook (lamb, mutton and turkey). The kind of pressure cooker I have is the one that maintains a steady pressure and not that one that whistles. Mine takes about 5-7 minutes to cook the meat fully. You can always do it over stove top except that it will take between 40 minutes to an hour of slow cooking. You know it is done when you cut into a piece of meat it cuts through without any resistance.

Lamb curry

300g diced lamb
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
4-5 green cardamom pods
3-4 black cardamon pods
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt to taste
Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Marinade
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or Spanish paprika)
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lemon/lime juice

• Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients well and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed sauce pan. When the oil is hot, add the cardamom and cinnamon and toss for a few seconds. Then add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till the onions are nicely browned. Add a teaspoon of sugar to expedite this.
• When the onions have caramelized, add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to cook for a minute.
• Add the diced lamb and stir over high heat for a couple of minutes.
• Add the marinade and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes till the oil starts to separate. 
• Add the tomato paste and salt and mix everything together.
• If you are using a pressure cooker, put the lid and the weight and cook for 5-7 minutes when the pressure starts to release (about 5 whistles).  You don't have to add water, the meat will release enough water to cook it. Turn off heat and wait till the pressure cooker is ready to be opened. Add water to bring it to the gravy consistency if required. If you do so, put it back on the heat and bring to a boil again. You can do this on the stove top without using a pressure cooker. Add a cup or two of water and allow everything to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and cook till the meat is tender. This may take between 40 minutes to an hour. You'll also need to top up the water if needed.
• Finish off with  chopped coriander.

This will taste best the next day when the flavour goes into the meat. It goes well with rice and can also be used a side for naan or roti. A lot of Kashmiri chilli powder is used. This is a very mild chilli powder and is mainly used to impart the deep colour to the dish. If this isn't easily available, Spanish paprika can be substituted.


Bulgur pilaf

1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced parsnip
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4-5 cardamom pods
4-5 cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
2 cups boiling water
Handlful of chopped coriander for garnish

• Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour freshly boiled water over it. 1 cup of bulgur will need about 2 cups of water. Cover with cling film and keep it aside for 20 minutes.
• After this time, drain any remaining water and keep aside.
• Soak the cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add the whole spices and fennel and toss in the hot oil for sometime.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till it turns translucent. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute more so the raw flavour disappears.
• Now add the turmeric, chilli powder and diced vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste along with couple of table spoons of water and cover and cook till the vegetables are softened.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the prepared bulgur, lemon juice and cranberries and mix everything together. Keep the heat low and toss it around for a 3-4 minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Adjust the salt if needed.
• Turn off the flame. Finish off with some chopped coriander. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.