Lamb in a Fennel Coconut Sauce

Preparation time is 50 minutes, Cooking time is 1 hours 30 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

For Coconut spice paste

• ½ cup – (125ml) desiccated coconut or ¾ cup freshly grated coconut – (175ml)
• 8 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger – (30ml)
• 1 cup of water – (250ml)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, finely ground – (15ml)
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander – (30ml)
• 1 ½ teaspoon Indian red chili powder – (7.5ml)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric – (2.5ml)
• ½ teaspoon cumin – (2.5ml)

For Lamb

• 1/3-cup vegetable oil – (75ml)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed – (5ml)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seed  – (5ml)
• ½  teaspoon fennel seed, finely ground – (1.25ml)
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 lager onion, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt – (5ml)
• 2 ½ pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-½ inch pieces – (1100grams)
• 3 cups of water – (750ml)

Directions

1. When using desiccated coconut, you will need to soak it a bowl of warm water.  Cover the coconut, soak for 1 hour, and drain using a sieve before you use.  When using fresh coconut, it will need to be graded, either using a food processor or a hand grader. To open a fresh coconut use the back (blunt) side of a cleaver.  Whack the coconut with the back of the cleaver a few times all around the center until it cracks open cleanly into two nearly equal halves. Do this over a bowl in the sink to catch the juice as it drains from the cracks.
2. In a blender combine graded coconut, ginger and ½ cup of water and blend. Then add another ½ cup of water, fennel, coriander, chili powder, cumin powder and turmeric. Blend together until the mixture is thick and paste like.
3. In a 6 quart heavy pot, warm oil over a med high heat until hot but not smoking. Add cumin, fenugreek, fennel, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cook until fragrant. Stir in curry leafs and cook for 1 minute.  Add your chopped onions and cook until onions begin to soften and brown – about 5 minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes, stirring occasionally and cook until they begin to soften, approximately 1 minute.
4. Stir in your coconut paste, and season with salt.  Cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until no long pink.  Add water, cover and simmer, until lamb is tender, about 1-½ hours.
5. Transfer your lamb to your serving plates and cover.  Simmer sauce until it thickens.  Return your lamb to the pot, mix and serve.