Absolutely wonderful and full of flavor! I love cooking in my Römertopf, and this dish turned out just perfect!
Indian-Style Lamb Pot Roast
The Römertopf roaster (see The Clay Way) is the perfect vessel in which to cook this Indian-style pot roast, which is typically prepared in a South Asian clay pot called a handi. Belonging to the family of slow, steam-cooked moghul dishes called dum pukht, this lamb is coated in a spice paste made with saffron, coconut, almonds, and yogurt.
Credit: Landon Nordeman
8 cloves garlic
1 small onion, quartered
1 3" piece ginger, peeled
and roughly chopped
1 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
1⁄2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1⁄3 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. garam masala
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
3 tsp. saffron
4 serrano chiles, stemmed
1 1⁄2 cups yogurt
1 6–7-lb. leg of lamb, boned
Kosher salt, to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
1. In a food processor, pulse garlic, onions, ginger, raisins, coconut, almonds, 2 tbsp. garam masala, sugar, 2 tsp. saffron, and 3 chiles to a paste. Add 1⁄2 cup yogurt; pulse to combine. With a sharp knife, make 1⁄4"-deep cuts all over lamb. Season inside of lamb with salt; rub with half the yogurt mixture, working it into the cuts. Roll lamb into a cylinder; tie at 1" intervals with kitchen twine. Season outside of lamb with salt; rub with remaining yogurt mixture. Cover; let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Finely chop remaining chile; combine with lime juice and remaining garam masala, saffron, and yogurt in a small bowl. Refrigerate sauce.
3. Soak Römertopf roaster in water for 15 minutes; drain. Put sliced onion into bottom of pot; top with lamb. Cover, place in a cold oven; turn heat to 325°. Bake until lamb is tender, about 3 hours. Uncover; cook, basting occasionally with juices, until browned, about 30 minutes more. Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Pour juices and onions into a 2-qt. saucepan; boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a platter with a slotted spoon. Slice lamb and lay over onions; drizzle with reduced juices and garnish with cilantro. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
SERVES 8
Ratings & Reviews (2)
I'm a very experienced cook. Not sure what I did wrong. I, too, love my Romertopf, but this never browned, so the coating was wet. Perhaps I used too much of the yogurt mixture, although I cut in in half for a 3.5 lb lamb. I used greek yogurt (too thick?). I also wonder if higher heat would help as most recipes in the Romertopf are cooked at 400 degrees or higher. The Lamb was very moist but the wet coating was not a good result for all the work involved.
Indian-Style Lamb Pot Roast
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