Spiced Lamb with Fennel, Chili, and Tomato

Spiced Lamb with Fennel, Chili, and Tomato

Spiced Lamb with Fennel, Chili, and Tomato

Kothu kari kulambu is a spiced ground lamb dish from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Seasoned ground lamb is cooked with onions, garlic, and tomatoes. A spice paste consisting of coriander, fennel, cumin, Kashmiri chilies, and curry leaves is stirred in, then cooked down with the lamb. The lamb is served with flaky parathas.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Indian, lamb, main course, South Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Spice grinder
  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1” ginger
  • 1 green bird’s eye chilies
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 8 curry leaves
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 roma tomatoes diced
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Spice Paste

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5 Kashmiri chilies
  • 10 curry leaves

Garnish

  • cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Add the 6 garlic cloves, ginger, and green chili to a food processor and process into a paste.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Mix the paste with the ground lamb and set aside.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Add the spice paste ingredients to a spice grinder and turn into a powder.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Mix the spices with a tbsp of water to create a paste. Set aside.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Heat up the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the 2 minced garlic cloves and curry leaves for a minute.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Stir in the onions and cook for 10 minutes.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Turn the heat up to medium high and brown the lamb for 8 minutes.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Add in the spice paste, water, and salt. Simmer for 3 minutes.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes.
    Indian, main course, lamb
  • Uncover the pan. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
    Indian, main course, lamb
Indian, main course, lamb
Indian, main course, lamb
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Indian, main course, lamb
Serve the lamb with parathas.