Whole lamb leg curry with green beans

Name: Whole lamb leg curry with green beans
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 8 cloves garlic; 1 large thumb ginger, peeled; 1 Tbsp each cumin seeds, coriander seeds; 1 1/2 c yoghurt; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp sea salt; 1/2 c ground almonds (almond meal); 2 ⅒ leg of lamb; 30g butter; 2 medium brown onions, sliced; 6 whole cloves; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp neutral oil; 2 tsp black mustard seeds

for 6-8 people

Whole lamb leg curry with green beans, from Dish. Photo / Sarah Tuck

By Sarah Tuck

This aromatic lamb is an absolute crowd-pleaser. Serve it with rice, chutney and just-cooked green beans with slivered almonds.

8 cloves	garlic
1	large thumb ginger, peeled
1 Tbsp each	cumin seeds, coriander seeds
1 1/2 c	yoghurt
2 tsp	garam masala
1 tsp	ground turmeric
1/2 tsp	chilli powder
1 tsp	sea salt
1/2 c	ground almonds (almond meal)
2 ⅒	leg of lamb
30g	butter
2	medium brown onions, sliced
6	whole cloves
1 tsp	ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp	lemon juice

2 tsp	neutral oil
2 tsp	black mustard seeds

Marinade: Put the garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander seeds in a small food processor and whizz to combine. Add the yoghurt, spices, salt and ground almonds, and whizz again to combine. Make about 20 deep slits into the lamb with the point of a sharp knife. Smooth over the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Line a large roasting dish with baking paper.
Add the lamb, pour a cup of water into the base of the dish and cover with foil, ensuring it doesn't touch the yoghurt topping. Roast for 4 hours.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cloves and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the cinnamon and lemon juice and stir to combine. Spoon over the lamb, replace the tinfoil, and cook a further hour. Remove the foil and cook the lamb for a final hour. The total lamb cooking time is 6 hours.
Heat the neutral oil in a small frying pan and cook the mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes until they start to pop. Drain through a fine sieve. Garnish the lamb with the mustard seeds to serve.