Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Attirachi Perelan
Attirachi Perelan (Malabar Spicy Lamb Curry)

Attirachi Perelan

Malabar Spicy Lamb Curry
Non-vegetarianOrigin Kerala

A Malabar-style lamb curry with a turmeric marinade, a tomato-onion masala, potatoes and a coconut milk finish. It is savoury and spicy, with a lightly creamy gravy and aroma from fennel, pepper and cardamom.

Marinade turmeric

1.5 gMixed with the lamb before cooking (step 1)
01
1.5 g½ teaspoon
spice
Mix into the lamb and set aside.

Ground spices for the sauce

7 gStirred in with the lamb after the tomatoes (step 7)
Keep ground; add both together.

Finishing spices

4.1 gAdded with the curry leaves and coconut milk near the end (step 11)
01
2 g1 teaspoon
spice
02
1.4 g½ teaspoon
spice
03
0.7 g4 pods
spice
Crush the fennel and pepper coarsely; keep the cardamom pod whole.

Everything else

01
Lamb leg · Raancut into bite-sized pieces
720 g
meat
02
40 g3 tablespoons
oil/fat
03
3 g2 chillies
vegetable
04
160 g
vegetable
05
15 g5 cloves
aromatic
06
Fresh ginger · Adrakcut into matchsticks
20 g5 cm
aromatic
07
Tomato · Tamatarfinely chopped
120 g
vegetable
09
to taste
salt
10
Potato · Aloopeeled and diced
220 g
vegetable
11
2.5 g10 leaves
herb
13
Coriander · Dhaniachopped, to garnish
to taste
herb

Method

  1. Mix 720 g lamb leg on the bone with the marinade turmeric (1.5 g ground turmeric) in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Crush 2 g fennel seed and 1.4 g black peppercorn coarsely; keep 0.7 g green cardamom pod whole.
  3. Heat 40.5 g vegetable oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 g green bird's-eye chilli and fry until it sputters.
  4. Add 160 g white onion and fry for 12 minutes, stirring well.
  5. Add 15 g garlic and fry for 1 minute.
  6. Add 10 g ginger root and 120 g tomato and fry for 3–4 minutes until the tomato softens.
  7. Stir in the ground spices for the sauce (5.4 g ground coriander and 1.3 g kashmiri chilli powder) and the marinated lamb. Fry for 6–7 minutes to seal the meat.
  8. Add 447 g lamb stock or water and salt to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  9. Add 220 g potato and cook covered for 20 minutes until tender.
  10. Crush a few potato pieces with the back of a spoon to thicken the gravy.
  11. Add the finishing spices, 2.5 g curry leaf and 203 g coconut milk. Stir well and simmer for 8–10 minutes.
  12. Garnish with coriander to taste.

Don't have something?

Lamb leg
  • Leg of lamb

    Use the same weight; cook as directed, allowing extra time if bone-in.

  • Lamb hind leg

    Use the same weight; practically the same cut, so follow the recipe timings.

  • Lamb shoulder

    Use the same weight; fattier and softer, so skim fat and cook 10–15 minutes longer.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Fennel seed
  • Aniseed

    Use 75% of the weight. Fry in hot oil or ghee; has a sharper, more pronounced liquorice flavour, so use a lighter hand.

  • Ground fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight. Stir into the sauce with ground masalas; provides identical sweet aniseed flavour without whole seed crunch.

  • Star anise

    Use one point (single carpel) per 1 g of fennel seeds. Simmer in gravies and remove before serving; gives a deeper, woodier liquorice aroma.

Black peppercorn
  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use 75% of the weight. Add midway through simmering; spreads heat evenly through the dish instead of delivering isolated bursts.

  • Ground black pepper

    Use 50% of the weight. Stir in near the end of cooking; significantly darkens light gravies and provides an immediate, sharp bite.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Green bird's eye chilli
  • Bird's eye green chilli

    Use the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.

  • Green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.

  • Fresh green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

White onion
  • Brown onion

    Use the same weight; it is the closest everyday match, with a slightly deeper sweetness when fried.

  • Red onion

    Use the same weight; it is sharper and will tint the dish pink, so cook a little longer for sweetness.

  • Shallot

    Use the same weight; it is milder and sweeter, so reduce frying time slightly to avoid burning.

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Tomato
  • Tomato purée

    Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.

  • Plain yogurt

    Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Ground coriander
  • Coriander seeds

    Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

  • Garam masala

    Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Kashmiri chilli powder
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Grind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.

  • Chilli powder

    Use one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Lamb stock or water
  • Lamb stock

    Use the same weight; this gives the best body and flavour.

  • Chicken stock

    Use the same weight; lighter in flavour, so add a little extra salt and spices.

  • Vegetable stock

    Use the same weight; milder, so taste and add extra salt before serving.

Potato
  • Eggplant

    Use equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.

  • Paneer

    Use 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.

  • Dried chickpea

    Use 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Green cardamom pod
  • Green cardamom seed

    Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.

  • Ground green cardamom

    Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.

  • White cardamom pod

    Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Curry leaf
  • Bay leaf

    Fry 1 bay leaf for every 5 curry leaves in hot oil; imparts a warm, woodsy background note, but misses the citrus-sulphury punch entirely.

  • Lime juice

    Add a small squeeze (about 5 ml per sprig of curry leaves) right before serving; provides sharp citrus top notes without the toasty, herbal aroma.

Coconut milk
  • Single cream

    Use equal weight; simmer gently over low heat to prevent curdling. Imparts a comparable rich texture, though it adds dairy richness without any coconut fragrance.

  • Cashew paste

    Whisk 1 part cashew paste with 2 parts water to match the consistency, then use equal weight. Provides a thick, velvety body without coconut flavour.

  • Whole milk

    Use equal weight, but reduce other cooking liquids by 20% to compensate for the lower viscosity. The curry will be lighter and lack sweetness.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Similar dishes

Aloo ka Salan
Lamb with Potatoes in Yoghurt Sauce
Aloo ka Salan tastes tangy and yoghurt-rich with a ghee aroma, while this dish is creamier from coconut milk and more peppery-fennel spicy.
  • Same: Aloo ka Salan shares lamb, potato, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and ground coriander with this dish.
  • Different: Aloo ka Salan uses ghee and yogurt instead of vegetable oil and coconut milk, omits tomato, fennel, peppercorn, cardamom and curry leaf, adds garam masala, and has far more potato and less lamb than this dish.
Tariwalla Murgh
Home-Style Chicken Curry
Tariwalla Murgh is savoury, lightly tangy and gently hot with a thin gravy, while this dish is savoury and spicy with a lightly creamy coconut milk finish and fennel, pepper and cardamom aroma.
  • Same: Tariwalla Murgh shares with this dish bone-in meat, potato, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, vegetable oil, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, ground coriander, green cardamom and coriander.
  • Different: Tariwalla Murgh uses chicken and water with cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin, tomato purée and lemon juice, while this dish uses lamb, lamb stock or water, coconut milk, fennel, black peppercorn, bird's-eye chilli and curry leaf.
Parsi Salli Boti
Apricot Lamb Curry with Crispy Potato Straws
Parsi Salli Boti tastes sweet-sour from apricot, jaggery and vinegar with warm spice and crisp potato straws, while this dish tastes savoury and spicy with a lightly creamy coconut milk gravy and fennel, pepper and cardamom aroma.
  • Same: Parsi Salli Boti and this dish are both bone-in lamb leg curries built on onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli and green bird's-eye chilli, with vegetable oil and green cardamom.
  • Different: Parsi Salli Boti adds dried apricot, jaggery or sugar, malt vinegar, cumin seed, clove, garam masala and tomato purée, and tops with potato straws; it lacks coconut milk, fennel seed, black peppercorn, curry leaf, lamb stock and potato chunks, using water instead.
Andhra Chintakaya Chaap
Tamarind & Ginger Lamb Chop Curry
Andhra Chintakaya Chaap is thinner and tangy from tamarind with ginger and mild chilli warmth, while this dish is savoury, spicy and lightly creamy with coconut milk and fennel-pepper-cardamom aroma.
  • Same: Andhra Chintakaya Chaap shares lamb, white onion, potato, vegetable oil, ginger and a coriander garnish with this dish.
  • Different: Andhra Chintakaya Chaap uses lamb chops, tamarind paste, mustard powder and mild chilli powder, and it lacks this dish's turmeric, tomato, coconut milk, fennel, peppercorn, cardamom and curry leaf.