Make a modern Scottish Indian restaurant classic at home with this South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry recipe.
In recent years, South Indian Garlic Chilli dishes have become modern classics on Indian takeaway and restaurant menus. The combination of rich, buttery garlic infused sauce with intense fresh green chilli heat is difficult to beat, and quite addictive. It combines perfectly with slow cooked lamb, and recreating this classic Scottish Indian takeaway curry dish at home is easy, so let’s do just that!
Ingredients For South Indian Garlic Chilli Lamb Curry
This Scottish Indian takeaway style South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry recipe takes just minutes to put together using restaurant style curry broth. This precooked broth is a spice and onion filled blend that you can use in a wide range of dishes. As in many restaurants, it serves as a shortcut to a variety of different curry sauces and makes it possible to cook dishes in just a few minutes. In this case, broth is cooked out with other ingredients including onions, peppers and green chillies, as well as garlic ginger paste, tomato puree, dried fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander leaves to make an intensely hot and rich sauce. With slow cooked and tender lamb for curry dishes already cooked, you can serve up your favourite Indian takeaway style curry in just a few minutes!
- Fresh Green Chillies
- Sea Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Onion
- Red Pepper
- Green Pepper
- Curry Broth
- Garlic Ginger Paste
- Tomato Puree
- Mild Red Chilli Powder
- Beetroot Powder
- Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Methi)
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Slow Cooked Lamb For Indian Curry Dishes
- Single Cream
- Ground Almonds
- Cashew Butter
- Salted Butter
- Garlic Powder
- Garam Masala
- Spring Onion
How To Make South Indian Garlic Chilli Lamb Curry
Making takeaway style South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry is so easy! And, with curry broth in the fridge or freezer, it takes just a few minutes too. First, fresh green chillies are pounded to a paste. Next, onions and peppers are fried before a small amount of curry broth is added to a frying pan or curry pan with garlic ginger paste, tomato puree, chilli powder, dried fenugreek leaves and sea salt. More curry broth is added, along with slow cooked lamb, cream, almonds, cashew butter, garlic and more to create a curry sauce packed full of flavour.
Step 1: Make Chilli Paste
In a pestle and mortar, add 3 fresh green finger chillies (seeds & pith removed for milder heat, left in for more heat), thinly sliced and pinch sea salt. Pound to a paste (be careful and look the other way to avoid any chilli cplashback!). Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, mix and set aside.
Step 2: Begin Curry
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a frying pan or curry pan over medium heat. Add 1 small onion, finely chopped, 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped and 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 80 millillitres curry broth, 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste, 1 teaspoon tomato puree, 1/4 teaspoon mild red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi) and 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped. Bring to the boil, then add 8-9 pieces slow cooked lamb for Indian curry dishes and another 80 millilitres curry broth. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Simmer Curry
Add the remaining 80 millilitres curry broth, 50 millilitres single cream, 1 teaspoon ground almonds, 1 teaspoon cashew butter, 1 teaspoon salted butter and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes until the South Indian garlic chilli curry sauce is medium thick and bubbling hot.
Step 4: Serve
Transfer the South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry to a serving bowl. Garnish with pinch garam masala, 1 teaspoon single cream, small pinch fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1 fresh green finger chilli, sliced and 1/2 spring onion, sliced. Serve with your favourite Indian rice and breads.
Recipe Tips For Indian Takeaway Style South Indian Garlic Chilli Lamb Curry
Vegetarian Alternative: Use tinned / cooked chickpeas or cubed paneer instead of cooked lamb.
Cooking The Curry Sauce: Each time curry broth is added, let it simmer well and caramelise in the pan. You’ll see the sauce change colour slightly as it cooks. You can do this with even better results using a curry pan.
More Curry Sauce: If the South Indian garlic chilli curry sauce becomes thick too quickly (or if you like more curry sauce to mop up with plain chapatis), you can add a few tablespoons of water while the curry sauce is simmering.
I hope you’ll try this Indian takeaway style South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!
South Indian Garlic Chilli Lamb Curry (Indian Takeaway Style)
Equipment
- 1 Pestle & Mortar
- 1 Frying Pan or Curry Pan
Ingredients
- 3 fresh green finger chillies (seeds & pith removed for milder heat, left in for more heat)
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
- 80 millillitres curry broth (for the first stage)
- 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- 1/4 teaspoon mild red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
- 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 8-9 pieces slow cooked lamb for Indian curry dishes
- 80 millilitres curry broth (for the second stage)
- 80 millilitres curry broth (for the third stage)
- 50 millilitres single cream
- 1 teaspoon ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon cashew butter
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
To Serve
- pinch garam masala
- 1 teaspoon single cream
- small pinch fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 fresh green finger chilli, sliced
- 1/2 spring onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a pestle and mortar, add 3 fresh green finger chillies (seeds & pith removed for milder heat, left in for more heat), thinly sliced and pinch sea salt. Pound to a paste (be careful and look the other way to avoid any chilli splashback!). Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, mix and set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a frying pan or curry pan over medium heat. Add 1 small onion, finely chopped, 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped and 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 80 millillitres curry broth, 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste, 1 teaspoon tomato puree, 1/4 teaspoon mild red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi) and 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped. Bring to the boil, then add 8-9 pieces slow cooked lamb for Indian curry dishes and another 80 millilitres curry broth. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining 80 millilitres curry broth, 50 millilitres single cream, 1 teaspoon ground almonds, 1 teaspoon cashew butter, 1 teaspoon salted butter and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes until the South Indian garlic chilli curry sauce is medium thick and bubbling hot.
- Transfer the South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry to a serving bowl. Garnish with pinch garam masala, 1 teaspoon single cream, small pinch fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1 fresh green finger chilli, sliced and 1/2 spring onion, sliced. Serve with your favourite Indian rice and breads.
South Indian Garlic Chilli Lamb Curry Recipe FAQ
What is curry broth?
Restaurant and takeaway kitchens often use a prepared curry broth. It’s a rich onion and spice filled gravy that can be turned into vindaloo, dansak, South Indian garlic chilli and most every other curry you can think of.
Can I use lamb tikka to make South Indian garlic chilli lamb tikka curry instead?
You can definitely use cooked lamb tikka pieces in this recipe to make a takeaway style South Indian garlic chilli lamb tikka curry instead. It’s a tasty variation that will add a touch of char and smoke flavour to the finished curry sauce.
What can I serve with South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry?
This hot and flavour packed curry is delicious with pilau rice and plain chapati.
Do you like this Indian takeaway style South Indian garlic chilli lamb curry recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Indian Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make Glasgow style onion bhajis, home made paneer cheese, madras curry, mushroom rice and more! You can buy The Indian Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.
- McGovern, Kenny (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 05/06/2021 (Publication Date) – Robinson (Publisher)