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!
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.
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 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 them to the curry sauce. Then stir in the yoghurt, garam masla and dried fenugreek and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Can I use fat-free yoghurt?
Because the yoghurt only simmer 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.
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 you could add a nice big dollop of mango chutney!
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.
- 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.
- Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.
Lamb Liver Curry Recipe or Kaleji Masala
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!
Ingredients
- 350g (12oz) Lambs Liver
- 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
- 10cm (4") Piece of Cassia Bark
- 1 Large (200g) Onion
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 (200g Total) Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 75ml (⅓ Cup) Water
- 50g (3 Tbsp) Natural Yoghurt
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
Instructions
- Cut the liver into bite-sized pieces and set it aside.
- Mix together the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and amchoor 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 to 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 high 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. But 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 cook until the water has evaporated which should take another minute or 2, then reduce the heat to low.
- Heat a second frying pan (24cm or 10") over a high heat and when it is hot add the remaining ghee and saute the livers for 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the spice mix and toss to coat, then 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 and let it cook for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 605Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 911mgSodium: 771mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 59g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.