Lamb Recipes

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Lamb Recipes and chicken recipes, of various kinds, are probably the two most popular meat based Indian dishes. Probably the main reason for this is a matter of religion; the two largest religious groups in the Indian sub-continent are Hindus and Muslims, and since eating beef is offensive to the Hindu and pork is offensive to the Muslim, this leaves fowl of various kinds and lamb which can safely be served without risk of offense. In fact a great many Hindus are vegetarians and eat no meat - but not all.

In India and Pakistan, lamb would rarely be eaten in the average home although you may well find it in restaurants. We in the west are rather judgemental about mutton, thinking it tough and useless. In India they think lamb is too young and tasteless. So traditionally Indian recipes would generally call for mutton - not only this it would very likely be goat meat rather than sheep.

Goats are naturally browsers (no not the internet - they eat leaves and twigs off bushes etc) and sheep are grazers (they eat grass); this gives goat meat a naturally stronger flavour which some compare to veal or even venison.

Anyway, the point is that lamb recipes, popular as they are, could equally be goat mutton recipes. If you live in a large city or an area with sufficient Muslim population you should have access to a Halal butcher where this should be available. (Halal by the way simply mean 'lawful' so a Halal butcher operates with the sharia laws of food preparation). You can also buy goat meat on the internet - it's a little more expensive than lamb but not hugely so and if you get the chance you should try it - it really is tasty.

There are hundreds of ways to prepare lamb. It is quite often minced to make various kind of kebabs and koftas. It is also used in stews, mixed with lentils (for example in dhansak) but often just braised with spices and eaten with bread or rice.

Here are the lamb recipes I have so far - I will be adding more all the time

Lamb Bhuna
Lamb Biryani (Hyderabad style)
Lamb Dhansak
Lamb Dopiaza
Lamb Keema
Lamb Kofta
Lamb Korma
Lamb Pasanda
Lamb Squash Curry
Lamb Vindaloo
Rogan josh
Raan of Lamb

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