Indian Lamb Curry

This authentic Indian lamb curry is made with lamb shoulder. It's simmered with fragrant spices, caramelized onions, and Greek yogurt until fork-tender. Served over Indian bread or basmati rice, this is a meal on its own.

Table of Content

• Why make this lamb curry?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Lamb curry - stovetop
• Instant pot or pressure cooker
• More curry recipes
• Tips for success
• More lamb recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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Today, I bring you another addition to my curry recipes. I have shared a few different lamb curries with you already. And yet, this one is another yogurt-based lamb curry.

Why make this lamb curry?

• This is my authentic Indian curry the way mom used to make, with no shortcut. No readymade curry powder and quick cooking methods. And it's simply delicious!
• If you look at the recipe, you will see every addition of ingredients requires a few minutes of sautéing, caramelizing, and cooking. Give it time, don't rush and you will be amazed!!
• One of the secrets to this curry is to cook the onions until they are caramelized. These caramelized onions almost disappear into the sauce leaving their wonderful taste and flavor.
• The dutch oven helps cook the meat evenly and without drying out all the moisture, so you won't need to add any additional water as it cooks.
• And, you can also make this in the pressure cooker or instant pot if you don't have time to slow-cook. (details below)
• You can also make this with goat meat which is called mutton curry or mutton masala in Indian restaurants.

Ingredients and substitutes

As you can see, this dish is fairly simple in terms of method and technique because what makes this dish a success is the spices.

• Lamb - I prefer to use a lamb shoulder or leg of lamb for this dish. The meat does take longer to cook, but it comes out tender and juicy and absorbs all those wonderful spices. You can use lamb stew meat. While you can use boneless lamb I like to leave a few bones in for flavor.
• Onions - I love to use red onions. They add a bit of sweetness, which is very desirable. And it is very important that you cook the onions longer and slower. This will help caramelize the onions, which not just enhances the taste, but also adds that touch of deep red color to this dish (which I love).
• Garlic ginger - of course, you want to use fresh garlic cloves and fresh ginger for the best flavor with curry.
• Yogurt - Meat and dairy cooked together have a unique taste. In addition, yogurt also tenderizes the meat and makes it cook faster. And, it has a rich and creamy taste. If you can't use yogurt you can use coconut milk or coconut cream too.
• Spices - There really is coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, which you can find on any supermarket spice rack. But you can also use 4 tablespoon of store-bought or homemade curry powder if you don't have these on hand.
• Spice mix - The whole spices are used to perfume the dish. If you don't have the whole spices you can use store-bought or homemade garam masala. Garam masala is a combination of warm spices like cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, etc..

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Lamb curry - stovetop

• In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet, add the oil, ghee, and whole spices.
  Pro tip - if possible use a Dutch oven as it retains heat evenly and will cook without losing too much liquid. if not, use a heavy bottom skillet with a tight lid.
• Then, add onions and saute until caramelized, almost brown - about 10 minutes (see video).
  Pro tip - depending on the heat it may take 10 to 15 minutes to caramelize the onions. Do not cook on high as it will burn the onions not caramelize.

• Next, add the ginger and garlic - saute for another minute. Add the lamb pieces, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the lamb is no longer pink.
  Pro tip - ginger and garlic can burn easily so keep the heat on medium. Then turn the heat a little higher to sear the lamb on all sides.

• Then, add the ground spices and chopped tomatoes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
• Next, add the yogurt. Combine it then add ½ cup of water. Season with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
  Pro tip - stir the yogurt first in a small bowl to ensure there are no lumps before you add it to the lamb otherwise you will have lumps in the curry.

• Continue to simmer on the stovetop on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until meat is cooked through and becomes fork-tender - about 1 to 1 ½ hour adding water if necessary.
  Pro tip - Always ensure you have enough water so the meat has enough moisture to cook. If necessary add ¼ to ½ cup more.
• When cooked to fork-tender, taste and adjust seasoning. Adjust gravy by adding a bit more water depending on how you going to serve it.
  Pro tip - If you serve it with chapati, naan, or roti - keep it thick. If you serve with rice, add a little water to make a gravy.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Instant pot or pressure cooker

Instead of using a dutch oven, saute in the stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Once you have sauteed all the ingredients. 

• Pressure cook on medium heat for 40 to 45 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker.
• Instant pot - set the instant pot to manual. Saute then pressure cook on high for 25 minutes, then use manual release.

More curry recipes

• Instant Pot Lamb Curry or Slow Cooker Lamb Curry Recipe
• Meatball Kofta Curry, Beef Mince Curry with Peas
• Quick Chicken Curry, Instant Pot Chicken Curry, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
• Chickpeas Curry - Channa Masala, Lentil Chicken Curry, Spinach Tofu Curry
• Easiest Fish Curry - 6 Ingredients
• See all Indian recipes

Tips for success

• Use lamb cuts such as lamb shoulder, leg of lamb, or lamb stew meat when making curry. 
• Today, I am using boneless but lamb with bones is ideal for making curry as the marrow in the bones adds more flavor. 
• Cut the lamb into small pieces about 2 to 3-inches each. Large pieces will take longer to cook 
• If you prefer you can sear the lamb pieces in batches in a tablespoon of ghee or oil and set them aside. This adds more caramelization and depth of flavor but it is not necessary.
• Cook the onions until caramelized and cook on low to avoid burning. There is a huge difference in flavor when you cook the lamb with just sauteed onions compared to caramelized onions. 
• Do not skip the cooking time after adding each ingredient. Indian curry is about adding layers of flavor so don't make haste. 
• I prefer to use Greek yogurt because it is thicker. If you use regular yogurt you may need to reduce some of the cooking liquid. 
• If you use a Dutch oven you will not need any extra cooking liquid. For other pans, you may need to add ¼ to ½ cup of water every time you stir to prevent burning. The lamb must be cooked until soft enough to melt in the mouth.
• See the ingredients and substitutes above if you don't have the spices. 

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Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe