Here is a most delicious curry from western India that may also be made with chicken. It requires a lot of cilantro. Buy a big bunch, or two if they are skimpy, aiming at about 6 1/2–7 ounces. Once you have trimmed the cilantro by cutting off the lower, non-leafy stems, and washed and chopped it, you should end up with about 3 1/2 ounces or about 2 packed cups. The recipe may easily be doubled. This curry may be eaten with a rice dish or Indian flatbreads. Mushroom and Pea Curry could be served on the side.

　　

Ingredients

serves 3¿4

　　2 tablespoons lemon juice

　　2 packed cups (3 1/2 ounces) chopped cilantro

　　One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

　　4 good-sized cloves garlic, chopped

　　3–4 fresh hot green chilies (such as bird’s-eye), chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 1/4 pounds boneless lamb, preferably from the shoulder, cut into 1–1 1/2-inch cubes

　　1/2 cup coconut milk from a well-shaken can

　　

Step 1

Put the lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, chopped cilantro, ginger, garlic, chilies, turmeric, and salt, in this order, into a blender. Blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides, if necessary, with a rubber spatula, until you have a fine paste.

　　

Step 2

Preheat oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 3

Pour the oil into an ovenproof pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the fennel seeds. Two seconds later, put in the onions. Stir and fry until the onions turn brown at the edges. Add the meat. Stir and fry on high heat 7–8 minutes or until the meat is lightly browned. Add the green sauce from the blender and bring to a simmer. Cover and place pan in the oven. Bake for 60–75 minutes, then test to see if the meat is tender; if not, return to the oven for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and add the coconut milk. Stir it in. Reheat gently just before serving.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.