Categories: Meats, Main dish, Indian, Lamb 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
      5 lb Lamb, leg of 
 
-----------------------------------SAUCE----------------------------------- 
      2 oz Almonds, blanched 
    1/2 lb Onions, coarsely chopped 
      8    Garlic cloves, peeled 
      4    Cubes ginger, 1", peeled 
           ;chopped coarsely 
      4    Green chillies, chopped 
     20 fl Yoghurt, plain 
      2 tb Cumin seed, ground 
      4 ts Coriander seed, ground 
    1/2 ts Cayenne pepper 
  3 1/2 ts Salt 
    1/2 ts Garam masala 
      6 tb Vegetable oil 
    1/2 ts Whole cloves 
     16    Cardamom pods 
      1    Cinnamon stick, 2" long 
     10    Peppercorns, black 
 
----------------------------------GARNISH---------------------------------- 
      4 tb Sultana raisins 
    1/2 oz Almonds, blanched, slivered 
  
  Make sure that all the fat has been trimmed from the outside of the leg and 
  that most of the fell (parchment-like white skin) has been pulled off. Put 
  the leg in a baking dish made, preferably, of pyrex or stainless steel. 
  Put the 2 oz. almonds, onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and 3 
  tablespoons of the yoghurt into the container of a food processor or 
  blender 
  and blend until you have a paste. Put the remaining yoghurt into a bowl. 
  Beat 
  lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the paste 
  from the processor, the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and garam masala. 
  Mix. Push some of the spice paste into all the openings in the lamb. Be 
  quite 
  generous. (I forgot to say, you need to ask the butcher to make a deep 
  pocket 
  to hold a "stuffing", in this case, some spice paste mixture, or make a 
  pocket yourself) Spread the paste evenly on the underside of the leg (the 
  side that originally had less fat.) Now, using a small, sharp, pointed 
  knife 
  make deep slashes in the meat, and push in the spice paste with your 
  fingers. 
  Turn the leg over so its outer side (the side that was once covered with 
  fat) 
  is on the top. Spread a very thick layer of paste over it. Again, make deep 
  slashes with the knife and push the spice paste into the slashes. Pour all 
  the remaining spice paste over and around the meat. Cover with plastic 
  cling 
  film and refrigerate for 24 hours. Take the baking dish with the meat out 
  of 
  the refrigerator and let the meat come to room temperature. Remove the 
  cling 
  film. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put 
  in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns. When the cloves swell - 
  this takes just a few seconds - pour the hot oil and spices over the leg of 
  lamb. (My note: I found the spices jumped and spat in the oil quite a lot - 
  make sure your arms and counter are well protected) Preheat the oven gas 
  mark 
  6, 400 F. Cover the baking dish tightly either with its own lid or with a 
  large piece of aluminium foil. Bake, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove 
  the foil and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Baste 3-4 times with the sauce 
  during this period. Scatter, or arrange in a pattern, the sultanas and the 
  1/2 oz. almonds over the top of the leg and bake for another 5-6 minutes. 
  Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit in a warm place for 15 
  minutes. Take the leg out of the pan and set it on a warm platter. Spoon 
  off 
  all the fat from the top of the sauce. Use a slotted spoon and fish out all 
  the whole spice in the sauce. Discard the spices. Pour the sauce around the 
  leg. My Notes: I served the sauce separately, in a gravy boat. It is 
  delicious!