Lunch: Kashmiri Lamb

Recipe by The Gnome This recipe has been with me for over 30 years; it was given to me by a Kashmiri guy I shared a house with when I was 17. This is his mum's family recipe. Kashmir's cuisine combines the area's fruits and nuts with the ingredients and

Ingredients

4 dried red chile peppers (such as cayenne)
3 long, green fresh chile peppers (such as Indian Jwala)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Kashmiri garam masala
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut
3 tomatoes, chopped
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
20 whole blanched almonds
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Place red chiles, green chiles, cumin seeds, garam masala, ginger, garlic, grated coconut, and tomatoes into a blender; pulse several times to chop, then blend into a smooth paste.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Stir the spice paste into the onion and cook and stir until the oil separates from the mixture, about 3 minutes.
Stir in lamb pieces and salt. Cook, stirring frequently over medium-high heat, until the lamb pieces are browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Mix in yogurt, saffron, and blanched almonds until well combined.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick, about 1 hour.
Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro before serving.