Roast Masala Lamb

Ingredients

1 4-5 lb lamb leg; deboned (ask your butcher)

Marinade:

1 large lemon; juiced

3-4 garlic cloves; crushed

3 inch ginger; grated

3-4 green chillies; minced

Salt

Sauce:

2 large onions; chopped fine

2 tablespoons oil

1 tspn cumin seeds

2 inch piece of cinnamon

3-4 cloves

2-3 cardomom pods

2 tspn tomato puree

½ cup water

1 tablespoon cumin and coriander powders

½ tspn tumeric

Method

Mix the marinade in a large glass dish, and marinate the lamb for overnight in the fridge.

Next day:

1. Heat the oven to 220^oC.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves; cumin seeds, cook for about 3 minutes, the cloves and cardamom should have puffed up
3. Add the onions and fry until they are a rich golden brown, to save time, you can buy prefried onions - available in Indian shops.
4. Add the tomato puree and water, cook for about 5 minutes, add the tumeric, cumin/coriander powders.
5. When the sauce has cooled, apply it to the meat.
6. Place the lamb in the hot oven for 20 minutes, lower the heat to 200^oC and cook for 15 minutes per lb. For example for a 5 lb leg, you will need 1 ½ hours. This timing gives a fairly rare roast. If you like it well done increase the time by another 30 minutes.
7. Remove the meat and place in a large dish and let it rest for 20 minutes, remove the sauce from the baking dish and place a gravy boat
8. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.
9. 

We served it with herbed pilau rice and spicy sweet corn.