Favourite Recipe

The dishes at all our restaurants are very different from those served in the bulk of Indian restaurants, because their dishes are from the homes of regional gourmet families, Maharajas' palaces, and humble wayside stalls. The original recipes have often been prised from friends and the traditional cooks.

We feature on this page a different recipe changing periodically, which represents the authentic tastes of real good Indian food.

Some of these recipes are taken from the book by Camellia Panjabi The Creators entitled "50 Great Curries of India" which is regarded by many as one of the best and most important books yet written about Indian food.

It has now sold over 1.25 million, the highest sales of any indian cookbook in the world. It provides illuminating explanations of the philosophy behind the food to descriptions of exotic spices and the intricacies of cooking a curry. this is invaluable both for cooks unfamiliar with indian food and for connoisseurs. To purchase click here.

LAMB CURRY MADRAS STYLE

  • Serves 6
  • 4 oz (120g) fresh coconut
  • 8-12 whole red chillies, dried
  • 3 teaspoons paprika powder
  • 1 x ½-in (2.5 x 1-cm) piece of fresh ginger
  • 6 plump garlic cloves
  • 3 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 2 cinnamon or bay leaves
  • 4-in (10-cm) cinnamon stick 6 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2¼lb (1kg) stewing lamb
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • Salt


Cut half the coconut into small pieces for grinding with spices and set aside. Cut the remainder into pieces and put into a blender with 2 cups warm water. Blend until smooth, then strain and reserve the coconut milk.

Grind together the chopped coconut, chillies and the ginger, garlic and all the spices to make a smooth paste, adding a little water.

Heat the oil in a cooking pot and fry the onions until brown. Add the spice paste and fry for about 15 minutes over a low hat, stirring in 3 tablespoons water in the process.

Add the meat and sauté for 5 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the tomatoes and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Add 4 cups warm water and cook, covered, until the meat is done (about 50-60 minutes). Then add the coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes before serving.
Masala Zone