Dal Gosht
[ LAMB WITH LENTILS ]

The combination of meat with lentils as a sauce is a mix of Mughal and Indian styles. Today, this dish is commonly found in places that have had Islamic rulers in the past, such as Hyderabad, where it is called ‘dalcha’. The chana dal adds a grainy texture (some versions of this recipe use toor dal, which makes a smoother sauce).

Serves 4 PREPARATION → 10 minutes, plus marinating time for lamb and soaking time for lentils (about 1 hour) COOKING 1 hour 15 minutes

600g lamb on the bone, cubed

2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt

150g split gram lentils (chana dal), soaked

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste

2 fresh green chilies

, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato purée

1½ teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

a few turns of a peppermill

3 teaspoons lemon juice

a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves, washed and chopped, to garnish

salt

boiled rice or Rotis, to serve

1 Place the lamb in a bowl with the yogurt and season with salt, then set aside to marinate for 1 hour. Soak the lentils in plenty “of hot water for 1 hour.

2 Drain the lentils and put them in a heavy-based saucepan with double the volume of water (and no salt) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 45 minutes until soft, adding a few tablespoons of water if the lentils dry out.

3 Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a separate heavy-based saucepan over high heat, add the onions, and fry for 7–8 minutes until soft and brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a minute. Tip this mixture into a blender, add enough water to cover the mixture, and blitz to make a smooth curry paste. Set aside.

“4 Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over high heat and add the marinated lamb. Stir to mop up all the flavor from the bottom of the pan and seal well. Sprinkle in the ground spices, cook for 30 seconds then pour in the curry paste and season with salt. Mix well and pour in 250ml water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender. You may need to add a bit more water while cooking if the curry gets too dry.

5 Pour in the cooked and drained lentils and mix well. Add the lemon juice and season to taste. Sprinkle with the coriander and serve with rice or Rotis.