Mutton or Lamb and Squash Curry Recipe

We all love a good curry, and this one is a true favourite. There is something immensely satisfying in preparing your own spices, and understanding which ones contribute to the flavours. Succulent and flavoursome Mutton or lamb, slow cooked with fresh ground spices, and succulent squash, this is a real crowd pleaser, which freezes really well, so invest the effort in making a batch, unless of course your guests demolish it all!

The spicing mix provides a mild to medium curry, if you prefer yours a little hotter, then increase the quantity of chillies to taste.

Serves 8

Preparation time – 40 minutes

Cooking time – 4 hours

Used in this recipe

Ingredients

2kg Dorset Meat Company Boneless Leg or shoulder of Mutton (or Lamb)
8 Onions
3tsp sea salt
1 red chilli
1tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder ( or two whole dried Kashmiri chillies, crushed)
100g fresh root ginger, grated
8 Garlic cloves, peeled and grated
3tbsp Garam Masala
1tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 tbsp Cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tbsp Coriander seeds, toasted and ground
5 bay leaves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 large bunch of fresh coriander, with stalks chopped finely and separated from the leaves
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 x 500g squash, peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes
150g Mango Chutney
300ml yoghurt
400g fresh Spinach

For the Cucumber and Mint Raita

1x 3 inch piece of Cucumber
A handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
75ml yoghurt

Method

Peel and thinly slice the onions as finely as possible. The inions are a really important element, as they form the base for the sauce. Fry over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, until golden but not brown, and incredibly soft. Stir regularly.
As the onions cook, begin to prepare the meat, by cutting in to 3-4 cm cubes, trimming any fat carefully. Season with salt and pepper.
Destalk and remove the seeds from the fresh chilli and finely chop, peel and grate the ginger and garlic, then add to the pan with the onions, and cook over a gentle heat.
Toast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so. Do this until you can sense that the seeds are toasting, without burning, and beginning to release their flavours. Grind the toasted spices in a pestle and mortar, then add the Garam masala, Turmeric, Kashmiri Chilli Powder (this has a really authentic flavour and deep red colour), and then add all of the spices to the onion mix. Stir together and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the tomato puree.
Transfer the onion mix to a very large casserole and then deglaze the pan with water, and add this to the casserole. Depending on the size of your casserole, and desired quantities, you may need to use two casserole dishes at this point, and divide the ingredients equally between the two.
Now brown your meat in small batches in the hot pan, and add these to the onions.
Add the tomatoes, yoghurt, 500ml of water, the bay leaves, and chopped coriander stems. Stir well.
Cover the casserole, and place in an oven preheated to 160°C, and cook for 2 hours, checking and stirring every 30 minutes. If the curry begins to dry out, add a little more water.
Prepare the squash, and then add to the curry. Cook for a further hour, until the meat is tender and starts to break apart. The squash should become tender too. Add the mango chutney at this point and stir well, this will add a subtle sweetness and fruitiness.
To make the Raita, finely grate the cucumber in a bowl. Pick up the cucumber in your hands, and gently squeeze out the cucumber water and discard the liquid. Put the cucumber back in the bowl with the mint. Gently toast the cumin and coriander seeds, then grind finely. Add to the bowl with the yoghurt and mix till smooth.