Chettinad Lamb Curry ( Chettinad Lamb Kuzambhu )

Wash and clean lamb . Pat it dry and marinade it with little salt, ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of coconut/mustard oil.

Heat a pan . Add 2 teaspoon oil into it and stir fry the lamb on medium flame for 15 minutes. This gives a nice sear on the lamb pieces and later quickens the cooking of lamb . Keep it aside.

Dry roast all the ingredients for Chettinad spice powder( dry red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon pods). Cool it and grind it to a fine powder. Keep it aside.

Grind the soaked coconut with the fennel seeds in a mixer/blender into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Heat a pressure cooker and add 1 tablespoon refined oil and 2 teaspoon mustard/coconut oil. Add whole spices(1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves,1 cardamon pod and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds). Saute at low flame till you get the aroma of the whole spices.

Add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Saute on medium flame till the onion become brown and translucent. Add the curry leaves. Saute for 2-3 minutes till the leaves wilt and become crispy.

Add the tomatoes, ground Chettinad spice powder, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, cayenne or paprika powder and salt as per taste. Add the seared lamb pieces. Stir and mix. Cook till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.

Add 2.5 cups water( or as per your required gravy consistency) into the cooker. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and give it 2 whistles on medium high flame. Reduce the heat and let it cook for 20 minutes.

Turn off the gas and let the steam cool.Once the steam of cooker cools down, open the lid of cooker and transfer the lamb gravy into a wok.

Heat the wok and add the coconut paste into it. Add some water if required. Stir and mix. Cover the wok with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 15 minutes or till you see the oil floating on top.

Garnish the gravy with chopped coriander and serve it hot.