Del-icious!: Lamb shank curry with yogurt, saffron and tomatoes in two parts

So, we are already half way through the 10th month of the year. It feels like yesterday that I was looking forward to leisurely hours on the beach, not worrying about getting back before the sun set. Now, it feels like another year has passed me by, slowly crept away as I wasn't looking. This blog has become like a diary, recording my seasonal cooking, (surprising, I didn't think I did that so much) and my disasters and achievements in the kitchen. I don't really feel much was achieved this year, but that's OK, always looking forward to the next one.

It's hard to buy lamb in this city. Whatever you find is extortionate. I saw a rack for sale yesterday at $32, compared to the $14 it would have cost a few months ago. Apparently there's a bit of a sheep shortage right now. Lamb shanks, however, always seem pretty reasonable and feel quite indulgent if you serve one per person, although in reality the amount of meat clinging to the bone is not excessive. Neil hates fighting with food, using his hands is almost taboo, having to carve meat off bones not so much, but still elicits moans. Lamb shanks are best cooked until falling off the bone for him, no fiddly struggling required. That was the plan with these.

What happened instead was two curries, over the course of two consecutive nights. The first was creamy and smooth with yogurt, saffron and tomato with an entire lamb shank, grilled until mahogany and crispy and the second, a spicier curry with more tomato, chili powder and beef added to the left over sauce and lamb, the bones used as a stock agent, adding flavour and a little super soft meat.

(Allow yourself about 3 hours to make the first curry and, if you have leftovers and want to tackle the second, about another 5 - 6 hours - a very long time, I know, but curry really deepens and becomes more complex over time)

A curry where the sauce is creamy from yogurt, spicy from chili and flavourful from cumin, coriander and fenugreek is always a winner, especially when a little golden saffron is used to impart a wisp of honey scent and the meat used is on the bone. Allow a good 3 hours or more for this kind of curry to really deepen in flavour and the meat to soften. The absolute best thing to do is to serve it the next day, after an overnight session in the fridge.

Recipe: Lamb shank curry with yogurt, saffron & tomato

2 lamb shanks

2 tbsp oil or ghee

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 chili peppers, sliced

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

5 curry leaves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

a few saffron stamens

1 lamb or beef stock cube or 1 tbsp stock concentrate

5 tbsp yogurt

6 tomatoes

2 tsp salt (more to taste)

3 bay leaves

1 cup water

First, heat the oil or ghee in a large, heavy pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and curry leaves. Stir well and saute gently until the onion is very soft and golden and the spices fragrant.

In a small frying pan, dry fry the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds over medium heat for about 5 minutes until darker and very aromatic. Remove and allow to cool. Grind to a powder in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add, along with the chili powder, turmeric and saffron to the onions and fry for about 5 minutes. Add a little water if it starts to stick.

Add the yogurt, 1 tbsp at a time until fully absorbed and then add the stock, tomatoes, salt and bay leaves. Finally, add the water, stir everything well and then push the lamb shanks down into the mixture, they should be almost completely immersed. Cover and cook over low heat for about 3 hours. Check the lamb is very tender and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper or chili powder and remove the lamb.

You can grill (broil) the lamb for about 10 minutes to get a nice browned and crispy exterior if you like, or just serve directly from the pan with lots of sauce poured over. Some fluffy white rice would be a nice accompaniment, as would the roasted vegetable dish below:

Recipe : Roasted potatoes, cauliflower and carrots with spices

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

8 baby carrots, split in half length ways

4 florets of cauliflower, broken into small pieces

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, turmeric and salt

Pre heat the oven to 400oF.

Lay all the vegetables into a baking dish, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over all the spices and salt. Mix well and roast for about 40 minutes until soft and golden brown with crispy edges.

Curry number 2

Even though it is usually Neil complaining about cutting meat off bones, I have to admit I struggled with this. Not having being cooked for long enough, the meat was clinging on for dear life, not so much collapsing. (I've adjusted the cooking time in the recipe to allow an extra hour to ensure your curry is better). I gave up pretty quickly with frustration and disappointment. Not to be defeated, I threw the two shanks, (with lots of meat still attached) and the leftover sauce into the slow cooker. After adding a little more water, a few more juicy and plump heirloom tomatoes and a whole heap of extra chili powder, I let the curry cook on medium setting for a further 3 hours, by which time the meat was truly separated from the bone. The next day I used this as a base for curry number 2, adding some beef and a few mushrooms. What resulted was a deeply savoury and meaty base, almost all traces of yogurt disappeared and a thick, tomato, chili sauce left to envelop some tender stewing beef.

Recipe : Leftover lamb curry with beef and mushrooms

(This may seem like a strange recipe to include as you need to not only have made the 1st curry, but also have leftovers - it felt like an achievement to me though - and it's my blog).

1 cup of leftover curry sauce

2 cooked lamb shank bones with lots of meat still attached

1 cup water

5 tomatoes

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 lb lean stewing beef, cut into chunks

1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks

6 mushrooms, halved

Throw everything except the beef, bell pepper and mushrooms into a slow cooker or pan and cook on high for about 4 hours (for slow cooker), or keep on medium heat for about 2 - 3 hours for a regular pan. Remove the lamb bones, which should be completely clean and check through the sauce for any bits of fat or gristly meat, which you can discard. This is now your base curry sauce.

Add the beef, mushrooms and bell pepper and return to a medium heat in the slow cooker for a further 3 hours or a low - medium heat for a regular pan for about 2 hours. Serve.