‘Dishes like this make winter a time to look forward to’

A good curry is never just one thing; rather, it reveals layer upon layer of flavour. It is also the perfect food for this time of year, when the nights are cold and the air calls for warmth from the inside out

Lennox Hastie’s lamb shank curry is a perfect winter dish. In fact, perfect any time of year. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Growing up in the UK in the ’80s and ’90s, the Indian food scene was strangely exotic, offering an entire generation of Britons their first ­exposure to cardamom, poppadoms and the flavours of tandoori and madras. In “curry houses” the menus were laminated, the naans fluffy, and the mango chutney vibrantly sweet. Whilst a korma was the safe option, the intense heat of a vindaloo or phaal would be a dare, usually in the company of the school rugby team.

It wasn’t Indian cuisine back then. It was “going for a curry” and the food was mainly red velvet sauces, slick with ghee, thickly perfumed with cinnamon and clove, with hunks of marinated chicken or lamb. We thought it was the real deal. It wasn’t. Bearing little resemblance to its counterpart in India, most of it was Bangladeshi, cooked by men far from home, serving a version of Indian food that ­appealed ­to a British clientele. It would be some time before “regional authenticity” became part of the conversation.

Years later, when I was cooking for the ­Sultan of Oman, I was fortunate enough to work alongside a Goan chef whose hands seemed born for spice. In the cavernous kitchens of Mayfair, where the Sultan kept a London residence for the summer, he would coax whole spices to life in a dry pan. A magical combination of seeds – coriander, mustard, cumin and peppercorns – would be toasted gently until popped and fragrant. He taught me a curry paste was never to be rushed: shallot, ginger, garlic, turmeric, tomato and the toasted, ground seeds were pounded into a searing paste, along with a little vinegar to brighten all that richness.

There’s something about lamb on the bone that demands patience. A shank can appear ­uncompromising; knuckled and stubborn, yielding only to long, slow cooking. The curried lamb shanks here ­marinate first, embracing the flavours of the paste overnight, before being braised with eggplant until the meat is tender enough to be eaten with a spoon.

A good curry is never just one thing; rather, it reveals layer upon layer of flavour. It is also the perfect food for this time of year, when the nights are cold and the air calls for warmth from the inside out. Dishes like these make winter something to look forward to.

Try too my saag aloo (potato curry).

Lamb shank curry

Perfect for winter: lamb shank curry Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Full of flavour from the beautiful spices.

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3 dried red chillies
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Sea salt
• 40ml grapeseed oil or ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 tablespoons tomato purée
• 500ml chicken or lamb stock
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into large chunks
• Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. In a dry pan, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and dried chillies over medium heat until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Let cool slightly, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Add the spices to a blender along with the chopped shallot, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chopped tomato, vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Blend to a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
3. Rub about 3-4 tablespoons of the paste all over the lamb shanks. Leave to marinate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
4. Heat a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Add the oil or ghee and brown the lamb shanks on all sides until well coloured. Remove and set aside.
5. In the same pot, add the bay leaf and sliced onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the remaining curry paste and cook for 5-10 minutes until fragrant and the oil begins to separate.
6. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
7. Return the lamb to the pot. Cover and cook gently for about 2 hours. Add the diced eggplant and cook for a further hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scatter over plenty of fresh coriander just before serving. Serves 4