Categories: Meats, Indian, Usenet 
      Yield: 3 servings 
  
  1 1/2 lb Stewing lamb, trimmed 
           -of fat and diced 
      2 c  Yogurt (full-fat), 
           -natural 
      6    Garlic cloves, crushed 
      4 t  Coriander, ground 
      2    Lila murcha, (fresh 
           -green chili peppers), 
           -crushed 
      4 t  Paprika 
      4 t  Salt (or less) 
      3 t  Ginger, coarsely crushed 
      4 T  Cooking oil 
           -(mustard oil is best) 
      2 md Onions (or more 
           -to taste) 
      3 t  Cumin seeds 
      1 t  Turmeric powder 
      2 t  Black mustard seed 
      2 t  Red chili powder 
           -(also called cayenne 
           -pepper or lal mirch) 
      4 oz Coriander, fresh 
  
  Dice the meat into bite-size cubes and soak in warm water for 2-3 minutes. 
   
  Mix the paprika, ground coriander, salt, crushed garlic and crushed green 
  chilies with yogurt.  Drain the lamb and add to the yogurt marinade. Leave 
  to marinate for at least six hours. Ideally it should marinate in the 
  refrigerator for 24 hours. 
   
  Dice the onions into thin semi-circles.  In a large saucepan or a generous 
  frying-pan,  heat the cooking oil over a high flame.  Add the onions when 
  the oil is hot enough to "steam." Reduce the heat to medium and stir 
  occasionally.  Fry the onions until they change colour to a deep red/brown. 
  This should take 10 to 15 minutes. 
   
  At this point add the black mustard seeds and stir a few times.  Then  add 
  the ginger, cumin seeds, red chilies and turmeric powder. Increase the heat 
  and fry this "masala" for a couple of minutes. Add the marinated lamb to 
  the masala and mix well. 
   
  At this point you have two options, either to cook the meat on the stove or 
  to bake it. Stove-top cooking takes less time but requires fairly constant 
  stirring.  It should be cooked in a covered saucepan on a low to medium 
  flame for about 45 minutes. Add water if the sauce gets too dry and begins 
  to stick. For baking, transfer it to an ovenproof casserole, cover it, and 
  bake for 1 1/2 hours at 200 degrees F. Check occasionally, though you are 
  unlikely to need to add any water to the sauce. 
   
  Finally, prepare and wash the fresh coriander in cold water.  Only the 
  leaves and the tender stems should be retained. Chop coarsely and mix well 
  just before serving. If you don't have any fresh coriander, then mix in 
  about 2-3 t of coriander powder. Serve with well buttered (boiled) rice or 
  pita bread and fresh salad. 
   
  NOTES: 
   
  *  A popular North Indian lamb dish with coriander -- This is a family 
  variation on a popular North Indian dish.  I cook it whenever I could get 
  hold of fresh coriander, which in Edinburgh is seldom. 
   
  I don't know its authentic Indian name.  We simply call it "dhana lamb" as 
  that's how its always cooked at home.  Dhana means "coriander" in Gujarati. 
  Yield:  Serves 3-4. 
   
  *  Take care not to burn the onions and don't overcook the masala just 
  before mixing in the marinated meat. 
   
  *  I think the dish tastes a lot better if it is baked.  It's even better 
  if cooked for a longer period at a lower temperature. 
   
  : Difficulty:  easy to moderate. 
  : Time:  15 minutes preparation, 1 day marinating, 2 1/2 hours cooking. 
  : Precision:  approximate measurement OK. 
   
  Mukesh J Patel 
  : University of Edinburgh, Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, 
  Scotland 
  : seismo!ukc!cstvax!epistemi!mukesh 
  : mukesh@uk.ac.ed.epistemi 
   
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