Mumbai Lamb with Apricots

Mumbai Lamb and Apricot Curry

There isn’t much I can say about this curry. Everyone who has tasted it has uttered the words ‘best curry ever’. Try it and see.

Ingredients

• Handful of dried apricots
• 1 1/2 lbs of lamb stew meat (boneless)
• Tablespoon white vinegar
• Olive oil
• Ginger root
• Garlic bulb
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 6 green cardamoms
• 2 tsp of red chile powder
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• Dash of salt
• Water
• Cream

Directions:

• Take a handful of dried apricots and soak them in warm water with a tablespoon of vinegar for a couple of hours.
•  Put 3-4 tbsp of oil in a deep frying pan put on a low heat for 2-3 min
• Dice one white onion, add to the oil
• Fry the onions for about 15 min or until soft
• Finely dice 1 inch of ginger root and 4-5 garlic cloves
• Add the garlic and ginger to pan and cook for 3 min more
• Add a 3 inch cinnamon stick and 6 green cardamoms, stir for 1 minute
• Add 2 tsp of red chile powder and 1 tsp of ground cumin, stir well
• Dice 2 tomatoes, then add them and cook for 5 min more
• Add about 1 1/2 lbs of lamb stew meat (boneless),1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp black pepper and a few dashes of salt. Cook for 5 min or until lamb is browned, thoroughly stir all the ingredients together while browning meat
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and cook until the meat is tender on a med-low heat (20-25 min) if all the water has evaporated add another 1/2 cup
• Drain the apricots and cut them in half and add to the dish, thoroughly stirring
• Add 1 more tbsp of vinegar and 1 tbsp of brown sugar, thoroughly stirring in, cook for 10 min
• Turn heat to low and let cool, then add a few splashes of cream and stir
• Cook 1 min more on low (that extra minute makes all the difference)

Serve over rice and with some naan or papadums