Asma Khan’s Sikandari Raan: Spiced Leg of Lamb
Heavily spiced with the flavours of ginger, cumin and garlic, this celebratory roast lamb recipe is well worth the time. Serve with roti or pulao.
From the book
Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking To Nourish Your Soul
Over 100 accessible Indian recipes from Asma Khan
Vibrant inspiration for every occasion, including celebrations, dinner parties and midweek meals
From curries to starters, sides, desserts and more
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Introduction
This was the Raan made the night before I left my home – my henna night – the meal my mother fed me by hand. In some ways, for me, that was the night of my biggest loss… leaving Ammu. But in my loss there lay ahead my victory – when I could recreate this meal for others; where I used food to empower myself and other women around me.
It is an auspicious dish that takes time to cook but it is worth the wait. The story behind this dish is that it was made for the defeated Indian king Porus by the chefs of Alexander the Great after the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. The battle took place along the banks of the River Jhelum (which is now in modern-day Punjab in Pakistan). This special raan was made for a banquet to the honour the agreement between two kings. The original recipe is, of course, lost in the mists of time, so this is my family’s version. The use of the local Himalayan pink salt and the pungent, sulphuric black salt, kala namak, is what makes this recipe so unusual. This raan goes well with any bread, such as paratha or roti. For a special occasion, serve with the Rose, Apricot and Pistachio Pulao on page 212 of Ammu.
Ingredients
| 2 | small legs of spring lamb, about 1kg each (alternatively, use a shoulder of lamb or a medium leg of mutton or lamb, cut into 2 pieces) |
| 200g | ghee |
| For the marinade: | |
|---|---|
| 6 tbsp | Himalayan pink salt |
| 3 tbsp | mild chilli powder |
| 4 tbsp | fresh lemon juice |
| 4 tbsp | ginger paste |
| 4 tbsp | garlic paste |
| 2 tbsp | black cumin seeds (shah zeera ) |
| 4 | large Indian bay leaves (tej patta ) |
| 3 x 2.5cm pieces of | cassia bark |
| 120ml | malt vinegar |
| For the masala: | |
| ½ tsp | cumin seeds |
| 2 tsp | fenugreek seeds |
| 2.5cm piece of | cassia bark |
| 2 | cloves |
| 2 | green cardamom pods |
| 1 tbsp | white peppercorns |
| 1 tsp | kala namak (black salt) |
| 1 tsp | amchur (dried mango powder), or juice of ½ lime |
Essential kit
You will need: a heavy-based pan and a sturdy roasting tin.
Method
Using a knife, make a couple of incisions on both sides of the lamb and release the meat from the bone at the top of each leg, so you can push some of the marinade between the bone and the meat. Rub the pink rock salt and chilli powder over the lamb. Put the legs into a sturdy roasting tin that you can use on the hob (you will need to reduce the liquid over the heat at a later stage). Mix the lemon juice with the ginger and garlic and rub all over the lamb. Mix the black cumin, bay leaves and cassia bark with the vinegar, then rub this over the lamb too. Leave for 30 minutes, turning the legs in the vinegar and spice marinade and ‘basting’ the meat with the marinade at 10-minute intervals.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Cover the roasting tin with foil and cook undisturbed in the middle of the oven for 2½ hours.
To make the masala, dry roast the cumin and fenugreek seeds, cassia bark, cloves, cardamoms and peppercorns in a heavy-based pan over a low heat, stirring until they turn a few shades darker. Tip them onto a plate and leave to cool. Grind to a powder, using a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar.
Remove the tin from the oven and remove the foil. Melt the ghee and pour over the legs of lamb.
Put the roasting tin on the hob and bring the liquid to a slow rolling boil, turning the lamb once or twice, until the liquid is reduced. Turn off the heat.
To finish the masala, mix the black salt and amchur powder with the ground spices. Sprinkle the masala over the lamb and roll the legs in the roasting tin so all the remaining liquid sticks to the lamb. Taste, and if the seasoning needs to be adjusted, add more Himalayan pink salt.
To serve, place the lamb on a large serving plate and carve into thick slices at the table.
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