Ingredients
Paste
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons madras curry paste or mild curry paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped
- 10 cm (4 inch) piece of lemon grass, finely chopped
- 2½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 makrut (kaffir lime) leaves, roughly chopped or torn
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)
- 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) diced lamb
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 400 ml (14 fl oz) coconut milk
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) vegetable stock
- 1 small red chilli, sliced, to garnish
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, sliced, to garnish
- coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish
Method
1. To make the paste, put the onion, curry paste, soy sauce, chilli, lemon grass and ginger in a small processor fitted with the metal blade. Whizz for 30 seconds, or until the mixture has a coarse texture. Add the garlic, lime leaves, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of water and whizz until smooth.
2. Put the diced lamb in a bowl and add half the curry paste. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Fry, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes. Remove the onion from the saucepan. Increase the heat to high, add half the lamb and fry for 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and brown the remaining lamb.
4. Return all of the lamb and onion to the saucepan, add the coconut milk and stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender. Remove the lid and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve garnished with chilli, lime leaf and coriander.
