Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: PaulP on August 02, 2010, 06:21 PM
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I've started to eat more lamb curries lately finding chicken sometimes a little boring.
Last weekend I bought a 12.99 Argos value slow cooker, partly inspired by a post by 976bar on using one.
I bought some spring leg of lamb for about ?6.50 and chopped it up into bite sized pieces. Then I briefly fried the pieces with some cinnamon, cardmamom, and bay leaf.
Then I stuck the mixture in the slow cooker with just enough base sauce (Dipu's recipe) to cover and slow cooked for about 5 hours.
Then I cooked a curry sauce in my wok and added the lamb and base mixture.
The resulting cooked lamb was melt in the mouth consistency - very tender and tasty.
I've tried shorter methods of pre-cooking lamb but have never got such tenderness before.
As an aside, I also added a single Natco dried birds-eye chilli to the frying oil and this was also transferred to the slow cooker. I retrieved the chilli after cooking as it was still whole. I couldn't believe the amount of heat that this tiny dried chilli had imparted on my curry and it nearly caused a bust-up with the missus! Compared to even hot chilli powder these things really pack a punch!
Paul.
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I've started to eat more lamb curries lately finding chicken sometimes a little boring.
Last weekend I bought a 12.99 Argos value slow cooker, partly inspired by a post by 976bar on using one.
I bought some spring leg of lamb for about ?6.50 and chopped it up into bite sized pieces. Then I briefly fried the pieces with some cinnamon, cardmamom, and bay leaf.
Then I stuck the mixture in the slow cooker with just enough base sauce (Dipu's recipe) to cover and slow cooked for about 5 hours.
Then I cooked a curry sauce in my wok and added the lamb and base mixture.
The resulting cooked lamb was melt in the mouth consistency - very tender and tasty.
I've tried shorter methods of pre-cooking lamb but have never got such tenderness before.
As an aside, I also added a single Natco dried birds-eye chilli to the frying oil and this was also transferred to the slow cooker. I retrieved the chilli after cooking as it was still whole. I couldn't believe the amount of heat that this tiny dried chilli had imparted on my curry and it nearly caused a bust-up with the missus! Compared to even hot chilli powder these things really pack a punch!
Paul.
Going to do this one today Paul. Got
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Hi CH,
Just remember to make sure that you turn on the slow cooker first to get hot before adding any food. Secondly always add hot food to the slow cooker or it will take ages to heat up again.
I would start to sample the lamb (if you're at home) after about 3.5 hours. I usually cook for 5 hours when I do this myself with lamb.
Let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Paul
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I've started to eat more lamb curries lately finding chicken sometimes a little boring.
Last weekend I bought a 12.99 Argos value slow cooker, partly inspired by a post by 976bar on using one.
I bought some spring leg of lamb for about ?6.50 and chopped it up into bite sized pieces. Then I briefly fried the pieces with some cinnamon, cardmamom, and bay leaf.
Then I stuck the mixture in the slow cooker with just enough base sauce (Dipu's recipe) to cover and slow cooked for about 5 hours.
Then I cooked a curry sauce in my wok and added the lamb and base mixture.
The resulting cooked lamb was melt in the mouth consistency - very tender and tasty.
I've tried shorter methods of pre-cooking lamb but have never got such tenderness before.
As an aside, I also added a single Natco dried birds-eye chilli to the frying oil and this was also transferred to the slow cooker. I retrieved the chilli after cooking as it was still whole. I couldn't believe the amount of heat that this tiny dried chilli had imparted on my curry and it nearly caused a bust-up with the missus! Compared to even hot chilli powder these things really pack a punch!
Paul.
Love it!!! lol :)
Yes the chilies do give more heat in slow cooking, and also remember that never ever ever lift the lid whilst slow cooking as this will result in a longer cooking time. The only other thing I would say about cooking lamb or beef or any meat really in a slow cooker is cut the chunks into 3 inch size pieces, because by the time that has slow cooked for 4-5 hours it will turn out into approx 2 inch size pieces which are suitable for curry dishes.
I've cut much smaller than this before and the meat has got so small by the end of the cooking period, that it is hardly noticeable.... and not so tender either.....
Happy cooking :)
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Well the cooker is doing the business now and i've resisted any temptation to have a peek :D. Will lift the lid at 10:00 to see how it's doing. Thankfully my butcher friend cut the meat up for me and the chunks were roughly what you suggested 976. I wonder if he knew something i didn't ::). I'll bare that in mind in future if i cut it up. Am looking forward to sampling this a little later and to having something other than chicken.
A useful by-product of all this is a saucepan of Abdul's base. That should keep me going for a couple of weeks 8).
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Followed all your tips guys. Thanks a lot. Cooker was hot and browned the the meat and kept it warm. Gravy was hot as i'd only just finished cooking it ;D
Started the actual cooking at 6:30
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/9149abe8f1aa8ba5ff10073375768219.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#9149abe8f1aa8ba5ff10073375768219.jpg)
And what a bonus :o. A pot full of Abdul's gravy for curries ;D
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/15be917c2ba11582d20a7d63347b6c41.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#15be917c2ba11582d20a7d63347b6c41.jpg)
The end result.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/0c8f23c69df98d8670c53a1f860f694a.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#0c8f23c69df98d8670c53a1f860f694a.jpg)
Lifted the lid at 10.30 for a peek and a taste.
:P :P :P :P :P Loads of melt in the mouth "sheep". Wow
I really am looking forward to creating something special to do this justice. Thanks for your help and the pointers guys. Just one more thing. I can't waste the stock. What should i do with it :-\ :-\
I'm tempted to throw it in the pot of base ;D ;D ;D
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Well, i didnt wast my stock I froze it ;D. And am going to use it to cook the other kilo of sheep and probably use it afterwards to make a damn fine tasting mutton stew 8). As for the end product I used it last night in 976's bhuna, the results of which i will be posting later today ::)
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Sorry for 'bumping this but it took me ages to find this and I'm sure many others would benefit from a reliable method of pre cooking lamb .. mine's out of the freezer to be slow cooked tomorrow ready for curry king's lamb bhuna tomorrow night ... I'll let you all know my thoughts in due course although I'll be surprised if it turns out anything other than delicious having read the reviews !! :)
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This sure is an excellent way to prepare lamb or sheep as my local asian butcher calls it. Thanks to 976 bar and Paul P for cracking this one for me. Sounds like you won't be disappointed with the curry and you sure won't be disappointed with the meat you cook. Enjoy and let us know how it all goes Colin ;)
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Thanks for the bump on this Colin, and thanks for the OP Paul :)
I also want to cook more with Lamb (or Mutton) - As some of you may have seen, I had partial success with mutton cooking it on the gas stove for 2 hours.
I have a slow cooker already so will be trying this the next time I cook up a batch :)
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Tender Lamb Looks appetizing yummy ! don't waste the lamb stock , keep it in the fridge and you can use it when u cook chicken or making sauce , It is really very tasty and makes your dish delicious .
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I've just taken my lamb out of the slow cooker having tried a peice and it is absolutely perfectly cooked .. pleased so far !! :)
An observation only at this stage .. the base I cooked the lamb in tastes divine but does seem to have
1. Lost quite a lot of the 'curry' flavour it had previous to slow cooking ,
2. The base consistency has changed from 'runny wallpaper paste' to a 'milky' consistency which makes me wonder if I should reduce it down a little to restore it's original thickness.
I'm cooking 'Curry King's' lamb bhuna tonight so an answer to the reduction would be nice PDQ please ;) :)
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Hi Colin, how long did you cook it for and what cut of lamb did you use?
During cooking the lamb will lose some fluid as it cooks and this will have made the base sauce thinner.
In fact sometimes you can produce lamb that is tender but a little dry so you need to check the lamb periodically.
The base mixed with lamb juices should taste nicely of lamb so I would use it in the lamb curry.
Yes you could reduce this liquid so your curry doesn't go too runny.
Cheers,
Paul
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Thanks Paul .. I was panicking a little there !
I used neck fillets and cooked them for 3.5 hrs on 'low' ... they are moist and melt in the mouth. Accidentally they were cooked for 1.5 hrs then rested for 2 hours during a power cut and then back on for another 2 hrs. Maybe a method I'll adopt since they're better than I would have thought possible.
The base tastes very much of lamb but not curry at this stage :)
I'm going to reduce it back to it's original 450ml and by then should have a wonderfully lamby gravy to cook with .. I'll post thoughts on the bhuna tomorrow :)
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The 'Curry King' bhuna turned out to be a revelation .. wow,wow,wow it was fantastic. It was my first lamb dish and thanks to the slow cooked method the lamb was perfect and the base was gorgeous .. full of lamb flavour so I'll be doing this again and again ... best so far for me !! :)
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Hi Colin,
Really pleased it worked out well for you. I'll have to try neck of lamb myself sometime.
When I do a lamb curry I've usually used leg of lamb which is probably too good a cut for a curry and it is expensive.
Cheers,
Paul
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Guys
Anyone know if the cinnamon etc are left in or taken out after browning? I'm guessing left in but just checking
Cheers
Ed
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Hi Ed, long time since I posted this but I always try to remove whole spices before the curry gets onto a plate.
It's not nice chomping on a hard piece of bark or a bay leaf!
Paul
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I'm now torn between this method, PanPot's Ashoka method and Mick Crawford's method!
Aaarrggghhhh! Decisions, decisions...
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Cheers Paul, just to clarify the hard spices are left in right up to serving the dish.
Cheers
Ed
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I finally went with the slow cooker combined with Mick Crawford's pre-cook recipe but using less water.
Had the meat on high for 2 hours then low for 4 hours. The texture was terrific - still some bite and texture to the meat, but flaking and melting in the mouth. Lovely!
The only caveat I have is that the lamb chunks were a tad over-spiced. Still good, mind you, but maybe the slow-cooking had something to do with that.
But I'm now sold on slow-cooking the lamb for my curries. :)