Champ Masala, Spicy Lamb Chops

A stunning Lamb Chop dish that was good enough to win the author a prize from the BBC! This is a favourite of mine because I love eating without a knife and fork getting in the way, so anything on the bone is great. It is an adaptation of a karahi dish I have had on my travels. Use the best quality lamb chops you can get on the bone. Remove the outer layer of fat and you will end up with lovely juicy chops in a stunning sauce. You can serve this as a simple meal with just hot breads (Naan, Roti etc) or make it a part of a larger meal with rice and other curries. Quantities are for 4 to 6 normal people if part of a larger meal or 2 fat boys for a snackette!

Ingredients

Masala paste

• 4 green cardomons
• 4 cloves
• 1 tbsp. white cumin seed
• 1 tsp. jaggery, brown sugar or white sugar in order of preference
• 3 plump cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2" piece of fresh ginger, chopped
• 4 dry red chillies, chopped
• 1 tblsp. ground almond
• 2 tsp. sesame seed
• 175ml good thick Yoghurt

Other ingredients

• 2lb good lamb chops on the bone, outer fat removed.
• 2 tbsp. Ghee or Oil
• 2 green chillies sliced
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp. Tomato puree
• 2 tblsp. good thick yoghurt
• (Optional) Good pinch of Saffron, soaked in tbsp. warm milk
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak lamb chops in warm water for 15 minutes.
2. Grind all the dry masala ingredients together and then add yoghurt to form a paste. Set aside.
3. Fry onions in ghee or oil until golden.
4. Reduce heat, add masala paste and fry for another 5 minutes. Keep adding a little water as the mixture dries out.
5. Dry the chops and add to the frying mixture. Raise heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, turning the chops frequently.
6. Mix yoghurt with tomato puree, salt and saffron (if you are using it). Add it all to the chops and bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat to very low and simmer chops for 1/2 hour.
8. Preheat an oven to 150 C. Put chops into casserole, cover and bake for 1/2 hour.

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