Name: Lamb Liver Curry Recipe or Kaleji Masala
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 350 g Lambs Liver (12oz ); 2 Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder; ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ Tsp Ground Cumin; ½ Tsp Ground Coriander; ¼ Tsp Amchoor; 2 Tbsp Ghee; 18-24 Curry Leaves; 2 Green Chilli Peppers; 6 Green Cardamom Pods; 10 cm Cassia Bark (4"); 1 Large Onion (200g ); 4 Garlic Cloves; 2 Small-Medium Tomatoes (200g Total ); 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree; 75 ml Water (⅓ Cup ); 50 g Natural Yoghurt (3 Tbsp ); ½ Tsp Salt; 2 Tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves; 1 Tsp Garam Masala

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Liver curry or kaleji masala doesn't appear on many takeaway menus, but it is a glorious old-school Indian recipe packed with flavour & spice.

My version uses lamb liver, and it is both easy and quick to cook, weighing in at a relatively rapid 40 minutes!

Overhead kaleji masala or lambs liver curry serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

Kaleji Masala Curry

When it comes to food, there are two things that I find it difficult to turn down: the first is curry, and the second is offal!

I've got offal recipes that range from devilled kidneys on toast to peri peri chicken livers, and curry recipes that include favourites like lamb jalfrezi and obscure offerings like squid curry.

My latest offering definitely falls into the obscure category.

Whilst kaleji masala may not appear on the menu at your favourite Indian restaurant, it is a proper old-school Indian and Pakistani dish.

Kaleji is an Urdu word that has a similar context to offal in English. It essentially refers to organ meat or variety meats, as they are called in some places.

My version of his dish uses lamb liver in a boldly spiced curry that rocks loads of curry leaves in a thick and clingy sauce.

The livers cook for 7-8 minutes, which leaves them perfectly cooked and soft, just the way that I like them!

It is supremely easy to make and takes around 40 minutes to make, and most of that time is getting lots of flavour into that thick sauce.

Overhead close-up kaleji masala or lambs liver curry serve with basmati rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken liver?

Yes, this curry is great, made with chicken liver, the cooking times remain the same.

They do not have quite as much flavour as lambs liver and, as a result, may be more palatable to those who are less keen on the idea of offal.

Can I make this in advance?

I would not cool and reheat offal because it can become grainy, dry and quite bitter. That means making this curry in advance and reheating it is not a great idea.

However, you could make the curry sauce for this recipe up to a couple of days in advance. I would complete the sauce up to step 11 of my recipe.

Then you just need to fry off the spiced liver and add it to the curry sauce. Then stir in the yoghurt, garam masala and dried fenugreek and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Can I use fat-free yoghurt?

Because the yoghurt only simmers gently and for a short time after the yoghurt has been added, you can probably get away with low or no-fat yoghurt.

However, low or no-fat yoghurt always has an increased risk of separating when it is cooked.

Can I use tinned tomatoes?

Yes, you will need a small 200-210g (7oz) tin of tomatoes in this recipe. If you use tinned tomatoes, reduce the tomato puree by half.

Kaleji masala or Indian lambs liver curry served with rice and naan bread.

Serving Suggestions

I've served this lamb liver curry with some plain rice and some tandoori-style naan bread.

However, a nice pilau rice and some chapatis would work equally well.

The flavour profile of liver means that this kaleji masala recipe also works particularly well with some sweet and sour flavours.

I would usually do this by having a side of kachumber salad, however, a cucumber and mint raita would work well too.

If you wanted something even sweeter with your curried lambs liver, you could add a nice big dollop of mango chutney!

Overhead close-up kaleji masala or Indian lambs liver curry.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

Hob/Stovetop.
30cm or 12" frying pan or skillet (with a lid).
24cm or 10" frying pan or skillet.
stirring and serving spoons
Chopping board.
Small mixing bowl.
Kitchen knife.
A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.

Indian lamb liver curry or kaleji masala served with rice, naan and fresh coriander.

Lamb Liver Curry Recipe or Kaleji Masala

5 from 3 votes

Liver curry may not be the first thing that you think of when pondering Indian food, but kaleji masala is a popular Indian and Pakistani dish, and it tastes incredible!

Main Course

Anglo Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 605kcal

Author Brian Jones

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Ingredients

350 g Lambs Liver 12oz
2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
¼ teaspoon Amchoor
2 tablespoon Ghee
18-24 Curry Leaves
2 Green Chilli Peppers
6 Green Cardamom Pods
10 cm Cassia Bark 4"
1 Large Onion 200g
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Small-Medium Tomatoes 200g Total
2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
75 ml Water ⅓ Cup
50 g Natural Yoghurt 3 tablespoon
½ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Dried Fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon Garam Masala

Instructions

Cut the liver into bite-sized pieces and set it aside.
Top and tail the onion, cut it in half and remove the skin, then cut it into 5-6mm (¼") thick strips.
Peel the garlic cloves and mash them into a paste.
Cut the chilli peppers in half lengthways.
Cut the tomatoes into a 1cm (½") dice.
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan or skillet over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add half of the ghee.
Throw in the curry leaves, slit green chilli peppers, cardamom pods and cassia bark and give it a stir for 30 seconds.
Add the onions and cook for 12-15 minutes; you want the edges of the onion to go nice and golden.
If they begin to colour too quickly, reduce the heat a little.
Add the mashed garlic and tomato puree, then cook for 60 seconds, stirring all of the time.
Throw in the tomatoes, salt and water, add a lid and cook until the tomatoes break down, this will take 4-5 minutes. Then remove the lid and reduce the heat to low.
Mix together the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and amchoor.
Heat a second frying pan (25cm or 10") over a high heat, and when it is hot, add the remaining ghee, followed by the liver and a pinch of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle over the spice mix, toss to coat.
Transfer the spiced livers to the pan with the sauce.
Add the yoghurt, crush the dried fenugreek leaves into the pan and add the garam masala. Give everything a stir, adding as much water as needed to form a nice sauce, then let it cook for 1-2 minutes before serving.