Serves 6
INGREDIENTS :
300g small turnips
Salt
400g onions
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2" (4-cm) piece fresh ginger
9oz (250g) tomatoes
About 9oz(250g) tomatoes
About 9oz (250g) lamb bones for stock
1 cinnamon leaf (tej patta)
5 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder (deghimirch)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3/4 teaspoon fennel powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
1 1/2-in (4-cm) cinnamon stick
700g boti lamb or mutton
METHOD :
1. Peel the turnips and cut into quarters.
Prick each piece several times with a toothpick. Sprinkle with a little salt and run in
well. Leave at room temperature to degorge for at least 1 hour, then rinse off the salt
and set the turnips aside.
2. Chop the onions, 1 clove of garlic and
the ginger. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate, discarding the skin. Alternatively puree
the peeled tomatoes in a blender.
3. Make a stock by boiling the lamb bones
for 45 minutes in 2 cups of water along with the remaining clove of garlic and the bay
leaf, and strain.
4. In a frying pan heat 3 tablespoons of
the oil and fry the turnips for about 20 minutes until they are pale gold in colour and
beginning to get a crispy skin. Keep turning them around so they become evenly pale gold
in colour. Remove the turnips and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Put the oil from the pan into a cooking
pot. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Add the chopped onions and saute for about
10-15 minutes over a low to moderate heat until a golden brown. Make sure the heat is not
too high or they will fry unevenly. Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and continue to
saute for a further 5 minutes.
6. Add the chilli, paprika, turmeric,
fennel and coriander powders, the cardamoms, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons water, the remaining
1 tablespoon of oil and the lamb, and mix well. Stir-fry the meat for 2 minutes so that it
is evenly coated with spices. Cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until the meat
releases moisture which mingles with the spices and is re-absorbed.
7. Remove lid when the meat is almost dry.
Then, with a cooking spoon, stir and turn the meat over several times, for 5 minutes. This
continuous stirring enables the spice mixture around the meat to come into contact with
the heat at the bottom of the pot, and gives the dish its special flavour. It is known as
the bhuna process.
8. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, add
the pureed tomato and again stir and turn the meat. Pour in the stock, cover the pan and
simmer for about 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before the meat is tender, add the turnips.
Turn off the heat when the meat and turnips are tender. If the dish is not to be eaten for
some time the turnips will continue to absorb some of the curry. So, when reheating, if
more curry is desired just add extra water as required. Taste for seasoning, add more salt
if necessary, and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove bones before serving.
This curry is deep red in colour but not as
hot as it looks. If you want it hotter then increase the quantity of chilli powder.
Duck and turnips are also cooked together
in the same way in Kashmir. Instead of turnips you could use potatoes and the dish would
be just as nice: you do not need to salt the potatoes.
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