Fusion Foods

Passport & Plate - Basil Lamb Curry

India | Tuesday, March 11, 2014 | 4 photos

Ingredients
1 kg Onion, grated.
3 tbsp paste of garlic & whole kashmiri chili.
1 kg tomatoes, pureed.
10 gm fresh basil, chopped.
1 kg Lamb, cut in curry pieces.
Salt & paprika to taste.
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil.
Fresh parsley for garnish.

 

How to prepare this recipe
Heat oil in pan and carefully saute till color turns to dark brown.Add the garlic chili paste and cook further for 2 mins. Add the lamb pieces, cook on medium flame, stirring occasionally till the lamb leaves water and dries. Add salt and half cup water. Cook in the same process till the lamb leaves water and dries again. Cook till the lamb pieces almost tender. Add tomatoes and cook further till soft.add basil leaves and a cup of water, remaining salt and paprika as per taste. Continue cooking on low flame till the gravy is slightly thick and the lamb tender. Garnish with parsley and serve with steamed rice or mash potatoes.

 

The story behind this recipe
Teewarn, is a traditional Sindhi mutton curry. Made on Sundays and special holidays for lunch at most Sindhi homes. The recipe has been passed on over many generations. As a child my maternal grandmother would make this dish for us every second Sunday. We lived in a joint family, and father's side of the family then were strict vegetarians, so those Sundays were very special. After my grandmothers passing we moved with our parents to our own place, and my mom would make it for us. The same recipe has been passed on to me.
After my graduation in Mumbai, I went to Australia to study further. My passion for food was the reason for me to study hospitality. During my stay there I would experiment a lot to fuse Indian and International flavours and techniques.
I have created a few dishes which are absolutely Indian in flavours but modern in presentation. Or used Indian techniques with International flavours. But this dish is the closest to my heart. Specially because of the effort that goes in it. There's a lot of passion in creating a dish which has history and a traditional value in your kitchen. So here I have used the same technique to make the mutton curry. I have only replaced the Indian spices with herbs. The dish remains wholesome, and has the touch of tradition in it.