This takes a lot of time but not much work. First make a curry paste and marinate your lamb, half an hour minimum or up to two days in the fridge.

  • 1 lamb shoulder or two halves
  • 1.5tbs mustard seeds
  • 4tbs coriander seeds
  • 2tbs cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp cardamom seeds from inside the husks

Dry fry until they give off a scent. Grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Add

  • 5 red chillies
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 x 5cm pieces of ginger
  • 1-2tbs chilli powder
  • 1stp turmeric
  • 3tbs tomato puree
  • 1tbs vinegar
  • 60ml oil

Whizz to a paste. Smear all over the lamb and set aside to marinate (in a plastic bag works well)

When you are ready to start cooking, scrape all the paste off the lamb and reserve. Put the oven on 220C and sear the lamb for 20 minutes. Meanwhile start on the sauce.

  • 4 onions sliced
  • oil

Sweat the onions very gently in a pan for 10 minutes. Add the reserved curry paste and cook another 5 minutes. Add

  • Can of chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml lamb or chicken stock
  • 1 aubergine, chopped into chunks

You can either cook in a very low oven or in the Instant Pot/Slow cooker. For the oven method, put the lamb and sauce in a pot with a tightly fitting lid and cook 170C for 3.5 hours. Watch it doesn’t dry out. A safer option is put it all in the Instant Pot and put on Slow Cook High Heat for 5 hours. You will probably need to reduce the sauce at the end if you have used the Instant Pot – simply take the lid off, put on Saute and bubble away. When you are ready to serve, take the meat off the bone (it will fall off), remove fat etc and put the lean meat chunks a serving bowl with the sauce. Top with plain yoghurt and fresh coriander. We served this with naan and a dhal.