Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz lamb shoulder
• boned weight
• cut into cubes
• 4 tbsp medium Indian curry paste
• 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• generous knob of butter
• 2 onions
• halved then thinly sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 cardamom pods
• 400g/14oz can chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml/½ pint hot chicken or lamb stock
• 400g/14oz can chickpeas
• drained
• 125g/4½oz baby leaf spinach
• well washed

Directions

• Place the diced lamb shoulder into a bowl or food bag. Mix in three tablespoons of curry paste and leave to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature
• or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy based pan
• then add the onions
• cinnamon stick
• cardamom pods and the remaining tablespoon of curry paste. Fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes
• until the onions are softened and starting to turn golden-brown.
• Add the marinated lamb
• and fry for a couple of minutes until the meat has changed colour - it doesn’t have to be browned.
• Stir in the chopped tomatoes
• tomato purée and enough stock to cover most of the lamb
• with the top pieces just poking clear of the liquid.
• Add the chickpeas and bring the mixture up to the boil
• then turn the heat down to a simmer
• and cook gently for 1 – 1½ hours
• until the lamb is very tender and the sauce is rich and thick.
• Spoon away the excess fat that will have gathered on the top of the curry
• then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Add the spinach
• stirring the spinach leaves into the curry until they wilt.
• Serve the curry with your favourite rice
• breads and chutneys.