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Lamb Jalfrezi Slow Cooked Curry

Lamb jalfrezi is an ever-popular British Indian Curry house favourite, slow-cooked tender lamb is the perfect meat for the bold & spicy sauce.

The aroma as this delicious curry simmers for 2 hours will fill your house and have you craving your curry fix!

Indian influenced lamb jalfrezi curry garnished with fresh coriander.

Jalfrezi Gosht

I hardly hide my love of a good curry under a bushel, and lamb or mutton is the perfect meat for a curry as far as I am concerned.

There are a host of curry house inspired recipes here on my site, many of which are made with lamb.

I have everything from lamb bhuna and lamb pasanda through to a lamb tikka masala and nalli gosht lamb shank curry!

A lamb jalfrezi curry is one of the dishes that I order most often from British Indian restaurants.

The rich and bold nature of lamb is the perfect meat to stand up to the full-flavoured sauce and I love it.

For those of you that want something a lot quicker but with a similar flavour, I do have a chicken jalfrezi curry recipe too!

Close up Indian influenced lamb jalfrezi curry garnished with fresh coriander.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use another cut of lamb?

Yes, but you do want something with a little fat and that can hold up to slow cooking.

Lamb neck fillet is perfect and you can get away with diced lamb leg too.

Can I use mutton?

Yes, in fact, please do if you can find it! It will need cooking for longer, an additional 30 minutes at step 13 should be about right.

Can I cook this in a slow cooker?

Yes, you will need to cook through till step 10 on the stovetop. Then transfer everything to your slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

You will need to reduce the amount of water in the dish by half to account for the fact that you get next to no evaporation in a slow cooker.

Can I cook this in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you will need to use saute mode to complete everything through to step 10. Then seal the lid and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes at high pressure before allowing a natural pressure release.

You will need to simmer for slightly longer on saute mode at the end to reduce the sauce a little.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, and as with most generously spiced dishes, it will improve with time. It will last in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cook in a covered saucepan over a low-medium heat until piping hot for serving.

Overhead Indian influenced lamb jalfrezi curry served with a naan bread.

Serving Suggestions

A lamb jalfrezi needs a tandoori style naan bread to mop up all that lovely gravy as far as I am concerned. However chapatis or roti also do a great job, but flatbreads are must!

Rice is always a good option to serve with a curry. I usually opt for plain rice, but jeera rice or a good pilau rice are good options.

If you want something a little different, then potatoes also work well.

Aloo methi aka fenugreek potatoes or even my roasted Bombay potatoes are both great as a side dish with this recipe.

If you want something to cool that spicy burn then look no further than a refreshing mango lassi!

Close up Indian influenced jalfrezi gosht curry with red peppers garnished with fresh coriander.

Equipment Used

I typically do not have any brand recommendations for equipment, but if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section!

  • Stovetop.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
  • Medium saucepan (24cm or 10″) with a lid.
  • Bowl to marinade meat.
  • Sharp kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
Indian influenced lamb jalfrezi curry served in an iron karahi with a naan bread.
Yield: 2 Servings

Lamb Jalfrezi Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Marinade Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Lamb jalfrezi is one of my favourite curries to order in a British Indian restaurant and this is my homemade version, spicy, full of flavour and surprisingly easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 400g (14oz) Diced Lamb Shoulder
  • 75ml (⅓ Cup) Natural Yoghurt
  • ½ Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Pepper
  • ¼ Tsp Ground Turmeric
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 3 Green Chilli Peppers
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 150g (1 Cup) Onion
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 4 Cardamom Pods
  • 1 Tbsp Ghee
  • 8 Curry Leaves
  • 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 225g (8oz) Tin Chopped Tomatoes
  • 125ml (½ Cup) Water
  • 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
  • ½ Tsp Amchoor
  • ½ Tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 Tsp Dried Mint
  • 1 Tsp Dried Fenugreek
  • 1 Tsp Dried Pomegranate Seeds
  • 15g (1½ Tbsp) Jaggery
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala

Instructions

  1. Place the lamb in a bowl, add the yoghurt, chilli pepper, turmeric, and salt, then mix, cover, and marinate for between 4 and 24 hours.
  2. Cut the green chillis in half lengthways
  3. Peel the onion, then top and tail it and cut it into 8 wedges.
  4. Deseed the red pepper and cut it into 2.5cm (1") cubes.
  5. Peel and mash the garlic cloves to a paste.
  6. Crack the cardamom pods with the back of a knife.
  7. Heat a medium (24 cm or 10") saucepan that you have a lid for over a medium high heat and when it is hot add the ghee.
  8. Throw in the green chilli peppers, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom pods and cook until the mustard seeds start to splutter.
  9. Add the onion wedges and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Add the marinated lamb, tomato puree, and garlic, then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, we are not aiming to sear the meat here.
  11. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, water and vinegar.
  12. Sprinkle over the amchoor, ground coriander, dried mint, fenugreek leaves, pomegranate seeds and jaggery.
  13. Stir to combine, add a lid and reduce the heat to low, then cook for 90 minutes.
  14. Remove the lid and stir in the garam masala, have a taste and add more salt if required, then simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 845Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 787mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 7gSugar: 24gProtein: 57g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

DAVID

Sunday 28th of January 2024

Hi Please can you tell me a good substitute for Amchoor, I was thinking of add a touch of lemon juice or mango chutney

Brian Jones

Monday 5th of February 2024

You are correct in thinking that the amchoor adds a subtle sour hint to this dish, but it is very subtle, I lemon juice or zest would work ok, it would be different but still good. Mango chutney would add too much sweetness for me, but you could omit the jaggery and add mango chutney instead, another good option would be a little bit of tamarind, which would mimic both the earthiness and sourness of amchoor.

Enjoy.

Brian

Alex

Wednesday 25th of October 2023

Black or Brown Mustard Seeds?

Alex

Tuesday 14th of November 2023

@Brian Jones, This is very good. I have been trying to replicate a good UK curry house Lamb Jalfrezi for a while now and I have not been able to find a recipe in any of my Madhur Jaffrey books (probably because it’s an anglicised dish).

I went with the Brown Mustard seeds. I think I would reduce the mint a little next time.

What doesn’t quite hit is the heat level. I use 5 small green Cayenne peppers but it’s still not enough for my taste. Should I add a little more Kashmiri Chilli powder or more Chilli Peppers next time?

Brian Jones

Monday 30th of October 2023

Hey Alex, I use brown but you can use black too if that is what you have to hand or are used to using.

John Taylor

Friday 15th of July 2022

Hi Brian,

Really looking forward to making this. One question, though: if I make this in an Instant Pot will there be an issue with pressure cooking yoghurt? Using dairy products usually features on the list of pressure cooker no-nos.

There isn’t that much in the recipe, so it may not be a problem, but I thought I’d check with the man who’s been there, cooked that and licked the plate clean.

Cheers,

John

Brian Jones

Tuesday 26th of July 2022

Hi John... Sorry it took a whole to respond, I have been taking a bit of a break, but I am at the coal face now. The yoghurt is a marinade and not the key element of the sauce, as a result, for me at least it is not an issue to cook it in the Instant Pot and I've never had an issue. Be sure to use full fat yoghurt rather than low fat stuff which will really break down.

Enjoy.

Brian

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