Name: Kashmiri-style leg of lamb (Roasted with almonds, coconut and rose)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 10
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 large red onion, browned and ground into a paste in a food processor; 3 tbsp ground almonds; 1½ tsp coriander (cilantro) seeds; 2 tbsp desiccated (dry unsweetened) coconut; 6 whole cloves; 10 green cardamom pods; 2 kg/4½ lb leg of lamb; 1 tbsp white poppy seeds; 1½ tsp ginger paste; 1½ tsp garlic paste; 2.5 cm/1-inch cinnamon stick; 1 tsp aniseed; 2 tbsp dried edible rose petals; 150 g/5½ oz/⅔ cup plain yogurt; juice of 1 lemon; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 small piece of mace; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 dried Kashmiri chilli or 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Preparation info

Serves
10

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 30

Appears in

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2016

About

This is a recipe that reminds me of the cool, crisp Karachi winters and the festivities that they bring. The lamb is always slow-cooked in a pot, and resonates with the flavours of Kashmir: the sweetness of raisins, the warmth of nuts, the headiness of spice. This is my take on a dish that represents both Kashmiri respect for food and the togetherness of mealtimes.