"Chef's Diary"

Ingredients:

* 3-4 tbsps vegetable or sunflower cooking oil

* 1 kg lamb, chopped into cubes

* 2 onions, finely chopped

* 2 tsps garlic, ground to a paste

* 1 tsp ginger, ground to a paste

* 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped

* 1 tsp cumin seeds

* 6 peppercorns

* 6 cloves

* 2 tbsps coriander seeds

* 1 tbsp mustard seeds

* 1 tsp cinnamon

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 tsp fennel seeds

* 1/2 tsp chilli powder

* 1 cup thick coconut milk

* Salt

Method:

1. On a medium heated dry pan, roast the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and peppercorns until they are slightly dark and aromatic. Remove from heat and grind to a fine powder mix.

2. Place the mix with the garlic and ginger pastes, red chilli powder, cinnamon and 3-4 tbsps of water in a food processor and grind until it’s a smooth paste.

3. Heat the cooking oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Fry the onion until golden, add the above masala paste and bay leaf and reduce heat slightly. Stirring often, fry until the oil separates from the spice paste. If required, add water to keep the masala from sticking to the pan.

4. Add the meat and brown it, then add the tomatoes, coconut milk and 1 cup of hot water. Season with salt. Cook until the lamb is soft and the gravy is thick. If required add hot water to maintain the amount of gravy as you cook.

Remove bay leaf and serve with brown or pilau rice and naan bread.

Note: This rather hot, but absolutely delicious dish, takes its’ name from the city of Madras in Southern India. In Southern India dishes tend to be made ‘hotter’ than other areas in India, designed to make you perspire, thus cooling you down… It is supposed to be a hot dish but if you find it ‘too hot’ then use less Chilli Powder