Tandoori Raan

Name: Tandoori Raan
Yield: makes 6 or more servings
Ingredients: 1 large onion, peeled; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (if you have pods, crush them to extract seeds), preferably black; 6 cloves; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 cinnamon stick; 6 black peppercorns; 2 small dried chiles or 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional; One 3- to 4-pound butterflied leg of lamb; Salt to taste

December 14, 2011

In India, it should be noted, much “mutton” is actually goat, and—except in the most expensive restaurants or wealthiest homes—this spice mixture would be used on meat that would later be braised in a yogurt sauce, much like the one for the meatballs on page 424. But with our relatively young, tender lamb, you can just rub the meat with the spices and grill. (If you refrigerate for an hour or a day, the taste will be somewhat improved, but it’s not imperative.) I find this dish just as elegant as the French version, page 358, especially when it is on the spicy but mild side, with the chiles omitted. Serve with simple Pilaf (page 513) and, if you like, Curried Carrots (page 451). Other cuts of meat you can use here: beef steaks like skirt, sirloin (New York) strip, or ribeye are all good treated this way.

Recipe notes

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