| 1 | Dice the meat into bite-size cubes and soak in warm water for 2-3 minutes. |
| 2 | Mix the paprika, ground coriander, salt, crushed garlic and crushed green chilies with yogurt. |
| 3 | Drain the lamb and add to the yogurt marinade. |
| 4 | Leave to marinate for at least six hours. |
| 5 | Ideally it should marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. |
| 6 | Dice the onions into thin semi-circles. |
| 7 | In a large saucepan or a generous frying-pan, heat the cooking oil over a high flame. |
| 8 | Add the onions when the oil is hot enough to "steam." reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally. |
| 9 | Fry the onions until they change colour to a deep red/brown. |
| 10 | This should take 10 to 15 minutes. |
| 11 | At this point add the black mustard seeds and stir a few times. |
| 12 | Then add the ginger, cumin seeds, red chilies and turmeric powder. |
| 13 | Increase the heat and fry this "masala" for a couple of minutes. |
| 14 | Add the marinated lamb to the masala and mix well. |
| 15 | At this point you have two options, either to cook the meat on the stove or to bake it. |
| 16 | Stove-top cooking takes less time but requires fairly constant stirring. |
| 17 | It should be cooked in a covered saucepan on a low to medium flame for about 45 minutes. |
| 18 | Add water if the sauce gets too dry and begins to stick. |
| 19 | For baking, transfer it to an ovenproof casserole, cover it, and bake for 1 ?hours at 200 °F. |
| 20 | Check occasionally, though you are unlikely to need to add any water to the sauce. |
| 21 | Finally, prepare and wash the fresh coriander in cold water. |
| 22 | Only the leaves and the tender stems should be retained. |
| 23 | Chop coarsely and mix well just before serving. |
| 24 | If you don"t have any fresh coriander, then mix in about 2-3 t of coriander powder. |
| 25 | Serve with well buttered (boiled) rice or pita bread and fresh salad. |
| 26 | Notes: * a popular north indian lamb dish with coriander -- this is a family variation on a popular north indian dish. |
| 27 | I cook it whenever i could get hold of fresh coriander, which in edinburgh is seldom. |
| 28 | I don"t know its authentic indian name. |
| 29 | We simply call it "dhana lamb" as that"s how its always cooked at home. |
| 30 | Dhana means "coriander" in gujarati. |
| 31 | Yield: serves 3-* take care not to burn the onions and don"t overcook the masala just before mixing in the marinated meat. |
| 32 | * i think the dish tastes a lot better if it is baked. |
| 33 | It"s even better if cooked for a longer period at a lower temperature. |
| 34 | : difficulty: easy to moderate. |
| 35 | : time: 15 minutes preparation, 1 day marinating, 2 ?hours cooking. |
| 36 | : precision: approximate measurement ok. |
