Lamb Madras

This cozy Lamb Madras is a one pot wonder featuring tender lamb simmered in a thick, aromatic, tangy, hot and spicy curry. UK is home to many varieties of Indian-inspired dishes, especially curries and Lamb Madras is one of them. Though this dish never existed in the traditional/ authentic Indian cuisine, it made to the top-list in the curry houses and British-Indian restaurants.

Jump To Recipe

8.7K shares

About Lamb Madras

Lamb Madras is a medium-hot, Indian inspired British dish where lamb is cooked with onions, tomatoes, base gravy, Madras curry powder & other spices. Ingredients like tamarind or coconut milk are sometimes used to balance the flavors and tone down the heat.

Restaurants and curry houses typically use precooked lamb meat in combination with a base gravy/ Curry sauce & different spice blends to make their curried dishes like madras, vindaloo, jalfrezi and bhuna. These vary in flavor & level of heat, resulting in a very hot-spicy to mild curried dishes.

My recipe is designed with simple ingredients but results in a big flavor and you’ll pleasantly be surprised with how easy and hands-off this is! Also you won’t require precooked lamb or a base gravy to make this Lamb Madras.

But you need a good Madras curry powder and an aromatic Garam masala. There’s nothing quite like homemade spice blends because they are made with handpicked superior whole spices for a flavor boost. Moreover they aren’t oxidized like the store bought versions.

So I always go one step ahead and make my own spice blends. However if store bought is the only option for you, go ahead using your favorite brand and top up with the whole spices like star anise and cinnamon.

While phal seems to be the hottest of the curries served in the British-Indian restaurants, Vindaloo is the next and Madras is a medium-hot dish. Apart from the heat levels, they also have different unique spice profiles with a lovely balance of hot, spicy & tangy flavors.

This recipe is adaptable and you can adjust the heat levels to your preference. Use hotter chilies like ghost peppers /naga chilies etc for high heat or use a milder chili powder like Kashmiri for moderate heat. But it’s essential to balance the other flavors else your dish will be super hot with zero flavor.

Photo Guide

How to make Lamb Madras (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Prepare the following to make curry:

• 1 star anise + 2 inch cinnamon piece
• 1½ cup onions (180 grams, fine chopped from 1 large red onion)
• 1 cup/225 grams canned tomato puree (like passsata or 300 grams fresh tomatoes pureed)
• ⅓ cup carrots (40 grams, 1 medium carrot sliced)
• ⅓ cup red bell pepper (50 grams, 1/4 medium bell pepper diced)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional, or tamarind chutney or 1 tsp concentrate)
• 3 tablespoons ghee or oil (45 ml or use 1½ tbsp ghee & 1½ tbsp oil)

2. You need the following ingredients to marinate the lamb:

• 1 to 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or use any hot powder for preference)
• 1½ tablespoon Madras curry powder (+ ½ tbsp to adjust to preference)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (+ ½ teaspoon at the end)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (¾ tbsp. each grated or crushed)
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (handful leaves fine chopped + more to garnish)
• 1½ tablespoon lemon juice

3. Marinate 500 grams / 1.1 lb boneless lamb with the above spices. Cover and set aside until required.

4. Meanwhile blend together carrot, bell peppers and tomato puree with half cup water. (If you are using a large blender, water helps the veggies blend better.)

5. Smooth or slightly coarse puree is alright.

Make the curry

6. Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add the star anise, cinnamon and onions. Saute for 8 to 9 mins. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook down for a minute.

7. Transfer the marinated lamb and sear on a medium high heat for 6 to 7 mins. Do not burn.

8. Transfer the tomato carrot puree and mix well.

9. Cook covered on a medium heat for about 25 mins. Pour half cup hot water or broth and cook covered until the lamb meat is tender and cooked through. I add another half cup hot water after 30 mins and if you use fresh tomatoes you may not need so much liquid. It takes about 1 hour 10 mins for my lamb to become tender. This may vary depending on the kind of meat. (Total amount of water I use is 1.5 cups = 1 cup, divided in 2 batches + half cup to blend. Total cooktime is 1 hour 35 mins = 25 mins + 1 hour 10 mins )

During this process, you need to stir every 10 to 15 mins to prevent burning.

10. When the lamb meat is tender, the gravy should be thick. Add the tamarind, half tablespoon curry powder, half teaspoon garam masala and more salt (half to 1 tsp). Taste test to adjust the spices, heat and tang. Madras should be medium hot & slightly tangy with a natural hint of sweetness.

11. Cook uncovered for 5 more mins. It is important to cook down the additional spices for a little while.

Sprinkle coriander leaves on Lamb Madras and serve hot with Kulcha, Butter Naan, paratha, chapati, roti, steamed rice, Saffron rice or Turmeric rice. You can also have raita or lassi on the side.

Expert Tips

• It is essential to saute onions until golden and really soft. Then deglaze before proceeding to the next step. This breaks down the onions well and imparts a better texture to your curry/ sauce.
• If you are using fresh tomatoes, cut down the amount of water.
• Tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate are 2 different things. Tamarind paste is the pulp from soaked or boiled tamarind fruit and tamarind concentrate is a concentrate, more tarter than the paste. To use concentrate, start with only 1 tsp and adjust as you taste test.
• I don’t prefer to use coconut milk in my Lamb madras because it dilutes the flavors. But if you end up with a very hot dish, you may fix it with half cup coconut milk. Add it at the last step.
• If you are using very dark & old tamarind, use it only when you are ready to serve (during reheat). If you let the curry sit for too long your dish will turn dark in color.
• I use 2 teaspoons Byadgi or Kashmiri red chilli powder and my dish is medium hot. If you want extra hot, use a hot chili powder or simply throw in 2 bhoot jolokia / ghost chilies while cooking. Dried and fresh both work.

Recipe Card

Lamb Madras

No ratings yet

Boneless Lamb or goat cooked with madras curry powder, other Indian spices and herbs. You don't need a base gravy to make this BIR style dish. Serve it with naan, parathas or over rice.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

1x2x3x

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time2 hours hours

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Diet : Gluten Free

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

To marinate

• ▢ 1.1 lbs (½ kg) lamb or goat (bone-in or boneless cut to 1 inch portions)
• ▢ 1½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste/grated/ crushed (¾ tbsp. each)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (handful leaves fine chopped + more to garnish)
• ▢ 1½ tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (omit if using hot curry powder)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1½ tablespoon Madras curry powder (+ ½ tbsp to adjust, make from recipe link or use store bought)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala (+ ½ teaspoon at the end)

To make the curry

• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee or oil (or use ½ ghee & ½ oil)
• ▢ 1 star anise
• ▢ 2 inch cinnamon piece
• ▢ 1½ cup (180 grams) onions (1 large onion fine chopped)
• ▢ 1 cup (225 grams) tomato puree (passsata or 300 grams fresh tomato puree)
• ▢ ⅓ cup (40 grams) carrots (sliced)
• ▢ ⅓ cup (50 grams) red bell pepper (chopped)
• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) water or broth (+½ cup hot water. I use 1 cup, read notes)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional, or tamarind chutney or 1 tsp concentrate, adjust to preference, read notes)
• ▢ ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or jaggery (adjust to taste, omit to use chutney)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to preference)

Instructions

• ▢
  To a mixing bowl, add lamb, lemon juice, salt, ginger garlic, curry powder, chili powder, garam masala and coriander leaves. Mix well and cover. Keep aside until needed.
• ▢
  Puree tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers & half cup water or broth in a blender, to get a smooth puree.

How to make Lamb Madras

• ▢
  Pour oil/ghee to a pot and add star anise, cinnamon and onions. Saute for 8 to 9 mins until transparent. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons water. Add the lamb and sear on a medium high heat for 6 to 7 mins.
• ▢
  Add the pureed tomatoes and cook covered on a medium heat for about 25 mins.
• ▢
  Pour half cup hot water or broth if needed (in batches) and cook covered until the lamb is tender (takes me about 1 hour 10 mins). Keep stirring every 10 to 15 mins to prevent burning.
• ▢
  Stir in tamarind and sugar. Taste test to adjust salt, curry powder & garam masala to your preference. Lamb madras should be hot, spicy and tangy.
• ▢
  Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve hot with Naan, paratha, chapati, roti, plain rice, saffron rice or turmeric rice.

Notes

1. If using fresh tomatoes you will need lesser water/ liquid. I use 1 cup hot water + half cup (added to blender). But that depends on the kind of meat. So start with lesser (half cup) and add more as you cook.
2. Adjust tamarind to taste preference. Tamarind paste is different from tamarind concentrate. To use the concentrate, start with only 1 tsp and adjust as you taste test.
3. If the dish becomes too spicy and hot, you may add half cup thick coconut milk at the end.
4. Dark & old tamarind is likely going to darken your dish as it sits. So you may add only before serving.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts

Lamb Madras

Amount Per Serving

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 103mg34%

Sodium 416mg18%

Potassium 821mg23%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 28g56%

Vitamin A 2548IU51%

Vitamin C 29mg35%

Calcium 63mg6%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes