Ingredients

Lamb curry

1. Lamb / mutton (with bones) – 750 gms
2. Oil – 1/3 cup
3. Black cardamom - 1
4. Bay leaves (small) – 3
5. Cloves – 5
6. Green cardamoms – 5
7. Cinnamon stick (2 inch piece) – 1
8. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbsp
9. Onion (big, chopped) – 1
10. Tomato puree (double concentrated) – 2 tbsp
11. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
12. Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
13. Cumin powder – 2 tsp
14. Garam masala – 1 tsp
15. Water – 2 cups
16. Salt - as per taste

For jalfrezi curry

17. Oil – 2 tbsp
18. Butter – 2 tbsp
19. Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
20. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
21. Tomato puree (double concentrated) – 1 tbsp
22. Tomatoes (medium, chopped) – 1
23. Water – 1 1/4 cup
24. Basic curry – 1 3/4 cup
25. Kasoori methi – 1 1/2 tbsp

Additional ingredients

26. Red bell pepper (cut into chunks) – 1
27. Onion (medium size, cut into chunks or squares) – 1
28. Ginger julienne – few or thumb size
29. Tomatoes (medium, cut into chunks) – 2
30. Green chillies (sliced) – 3
31. Coriander leaves – 1/3 cup
32. Lemon (cut into wedges) - 1
33. Salt - as per taste

Method

Basic curry

1. Prepare basic curry in advance and keep it ready.

For lamb curry

2. Chop onion, keep aside.
3. I have used medium size lamb pieces with marrow bones and other bones, you can use boneless pieces.
4. Heat the pressure cooker. Add oil and whole spices like cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, black cardamom and let it sizzle for about 5 secs. Be careful, it can splutter on you.
5. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
6. Add ginger and garlic paste and lamb/mutton pieces, roast with onion in a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes until it is light brown in colour.
7. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and mix. Sauté on a medium to low flame until the colour of the meat and oil changes to dark brown or red for 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid burning the spices.
8. Add tomato puree and mix well with the lamb. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Add 2 cups of water, mix well and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Put the pressure cooker weight on and cook for up to 4 whistles until the sauce is cooked and lamb is just cooked as the lamb will be cooked further.
10. If cooking in a vessel, cook the meat until it is just cooked.
11. When lamb curry is cooked you can see that the curry has left oil on top and the curry gets a good colour and consistency. The curry sauce is approximately 1 1/2 cup or more. This is a simple (basic) lamb curry.
12. If you want, you can remove the whole spices and keep the curry ready to prepare lamb jalfrezi.

For lamb jalfrezi

13. Cut the vegetables into chunks or wedges or squares as served in restaurants. Use the quantity as per your requirement.
14. Heat the oil and butter in a medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add ginger and garlic paste and saute for about 10 seconds.
15. Add 1 3/4 cup of the basic curry sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Mix and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
16. Add the prepared lamb curry with its sauce, salt, 1 tbsp tomato puree and 3/4 cup of water.
17. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame, stir in between. Then simmer for about 40 minutes with the lid closed.
18. After 40 minutes, you can see that the lamb jalfrezi curry is almost like what you get in restaurants.
19. To give some final touches, add 2 big pinches of kasoori methi (rub in your palm first and then add to the curry), red bell pepper, onion, ginger julienne, tomatoes and sliced green chillies. Mix well.
20. Cook for about 3 mins on a medium flame. Then simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes with the lid closed.
21. At this stage you can add a few more wedges of tomatoes (optional) and chopped coriander leaves. You can add water if it gets too thick cook for a further 7 minutes on low flame or until it is as per your consistency you want.
22. In between shake the vessel slowly instead of using a spoon or very gently mix with the spoon. You can see the consistency of the lamb jalfrezi in the pictures.
23. You can garnish lamb jalfrezi with a few more ginger julienne, coriander leaves and lemon wedges beside the curry.
24. Serve with naan, chapathi (roti) or pulao or just plain rice.
25. I have served lamb jalfrezi with pulao made with nuts.

Notes

1. Even if there is no sauce and your lamb curry is semi dry, don’t worry as you can add water to the jalfrezi or use more of basic curry sauce for the gravy (don’t overcook the lamb when making the curry as it has to cook more for jalfrezi).
2. Boneless lamb is used in restaurants so that it is easy to eat. In few restaurants, it is served with bones as well. If you are preparing any lamb/mutton curry, always use the lamb with some fat like marrow bones (nalli in hindi), ribs which are juicy and delicate to eat with bones, etc. It make the curry more flavourful and delicious. It is always your choice.
3. If you like to have your vegetables to be crunchy, then add all the additional vegetables in the end and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame with the sizzling sound and serve.
4. The lamb jalfrezi will taste more delicious with some lemon juice drizzled.
5. You can use any coloured bell pepper, red, yellow or green.