Guest chef: Anjum Anand

This delicious lamb dish uses fat green chillies, which add wonderful flavour but not too much heat.

The food from Andhra Pradesh state in south-east India is among the country’s spiciest. This delicious lamb dish uses fat green chillies, which add wonderful flavour but not too much heat.

TANGY ANDHRA LAMB WITH FAT GREEN CHILLIES

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon for chillies

1 rounded teaspoon cumin seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 tablespoon peeled, roughly chopped root ginger

4 large garlic cloves

600g diced lamb

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

¼ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

4-6 fat green chillies, a small slit cut in one side

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

Handful chopped coriander

Heat oil in large non-stick saucepan. Add cumin seeds, fry for 30 seconds or until they darken; add onions, cook until soft and browned. Meanwhile, blend tomatoes, ginger and garlic until smooth. Add lamb to pan; cook on medium-high for 1-2 minutes. Add paste, salt, pepper, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder; cook, stirring every few minutes, until liquid has cooked away. Add enough water to come halfway up lamb; bring to boil, cover, simmer gently until meat is tender (50-70 minutes). Stir every 10-15 minutes; add water if pan is dry. Meanwhile, dry-fry sesame seeds and coconut until lightly golden. Add to mortar and pestle with peanuts; grind to a powder. When lamb is done, heat rest of oil in a frypan and add chillies; stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until sides change colour. Add to lamb with ground seeds and nuts, garam masala and half the tamarind; simmer for 4-5 minutes or until chillies are just soft. Taste, adjust seasoning and tamarind; add boiling water if curry seems dry; sprinkle with coriander. Serves 4

GARAM MASALA

10g cinnamon sticks

10g cloves

10g green cardamom pods

7g black cardamom pods

2 dried bay leaves

7g black peppercorns

3 pieces of mace

10g cumin seeds

½ nutmeg, grated (optional)

Place all spices except cumin and nutmeg in large frying pan over low heat. Stir so that spices dry out but don’t toast (3-4 minutes). Add cumin and nutmeg; toast for 30 seconds. Pour into spice grinder and grind until fine. Pass through sieve over bowl; grind any remnant coarse pieces until fine.

Guest chef Anjum Anand.

London-based Anjum Anand has written eight cookbooks and presented the TV series Anjum’s Spice Stories and Indian Food Made Easy. I Love India (Hardie Grant, $40).