Pork, beef & lamb

Curry Lamb

Name: Curry Lamb
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg) lamb shoulder, boneless, fat trimmed, 3cm dice; 30g (3 tbsp) Jamaican curry powder; 3g (1 tsp) ground allspice; 2g (1 tsp) dried thyme; 2 (30g) scotch bonnet chillies, 1 finely chopped, 1 left whole; 6 (90g) spring onions, sliced; 6 cloves (30g) garlic, crushed; 25g fresh ginger, grated; 1 (150g) onion, chopped; 400g potatoes, peeled, 3cm chunks; 250g carrots, thick slices; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 700ml water; 5g salt; 1g black pepper; 15ml rapeseed oil

Jamaican-style curry of lamb shoulder with curry powder, allspice, thyme and scotch bonnet, slow-cooked with potato and carrot into a rich gravy.

makes 26 blocks, about 68p each

Jump to recipe

Time: 3 hr 5 min20 min prep · 2 hr 15 min cook · 30 min marinating
Makes: 26 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 68p
Calories per blockCalories: 96 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg)lamb shoulder, boneless, fat trimmed, 3cm dice
30g (3 tbsp)Jamaican curry powder
3g (1 tsp)ground allspice
2g (1 tsp)dried thyme
2 (30g)scotch bonnet chillies, 1 finely chopped, 1 left whole
6 (90g)spring onions, sliced
6 cloves (30g)garlic, crushed
25gfresh ginger, grated
1 (150g)onion, chopped
400gpotatoes, peeled, 3cm chunks
250gcarrots, thick slices
1 cubechicken stock cube
700mlwater
5gsalt
1gblack pepper
15mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	96 kcal	288 kcal
Protein	8.5g	25.5g
Carbs	5.2g	15.6g
Fat	4.7g	14.1g
Fibre	1.1g	3.3g
Salt	0.45g	1.35g

Method

Step 1: Mix the lamb with 20g of the curry powder, the allspice, thyme, garlic, ginger, half the spring onions, salt and pepper. Leave for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 2: Fry the rest of the curry powder in the oil in a casserole over a medium heat until it darkens. (1 min)
Step 3: Brown the lamb for 8 minutes, then add the onion and chopped scotch bonnet. (11 min)
Step 4: Add the water, stock cube and whole scotch bonnet. Cover and simmer gently until nearly tender. (1 hour 30 min)
Step 5: Skim off the fat. Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer uncovered until tender and the gravy thickens. (30 min)
Step 6: Remove the whole scotch bonnet, add the rest of the spring onions, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Milder: leave out the whole scotch bonnet and deseed the chopped one.

Serve it

Rice and peas · Plain rice with fried plantain · Roti or flatbreads

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	96	8.5g	5.2g	4.7g	1.1g	0.45g
Per 3 blocks	288	25.5g	15.6g	14.1g	3.3g	1.35g

Cook’s notes

Frying some curry powder first, known as burning the curry, deepens the flavour and colour.
Don't burst the whole scotch bonnet; it adds fruity heat without too much fire.

Serve it

Rice and peas · Plain rice with fried plantain · Roti or flatbreads.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 288 kcal and 25.5g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Curry Lamb questions

Can I use goat or mutton?

Goat is the classic meat, and mutton works too. Both need longer, so simmer for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes before adding the potatoes.

Which curry powder should I use?

A Jamaican curry powder, sold in Caribbean grocers and most supermarkets, is heavy on turmeric and allspice and gives the right flavour. A mild Madras powder with an extra ½ tsp allspice is the nearest swap.

Can I use lamb on the bone?

Bone-in lamb shoulder or neck chopped into pieces gives a richer gravy. Use about 1.4kg, and take the meat off the bones before freezing so the blocks are easy to portion.