Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Rajasthani Maas Ki Kadhi
Rajasthani Maas Ki Kadhi (Creamy Tender Lamb Curry)

Rajasthani Maas Ki Kadhi

Creamy Tender Lamb Curry
Non-vegetarianOrigin north-west of India

A creamy Rajasthani lamb curry with tender bone-in lamb in a yoghurt-thickened gravy, warmed by cumin, clove and gentle chilli. It is rich, mildly spiced and best kept at a gentle simmer so the yoghurt stays smooth.

Whole spices for the ghee

0.6 gAdded to the hot ghee before the onion paste (step 4)
01
~0.3 g1 pinch
spice
02
0.3 g4 cloves
spice
Keep whole: add them to the hot ghee with the green chilli.

Yoghurt mix spices

6 gWhisked into the yoghurt mix (step 2)
Whisk into the yoghurt mixture until evenly dispersed.

Finishing cumin

2.1 gStirred in off the heat at the end (step 10)
01
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
Crush coarsely in a pestle and mortar.

Everything else

01
Lamb leg · Raancut into bite-sized pieces
800 g
meat
02
Garlic · Lehsunblended to a smooth paste
15 g5 cloves
aromatic
03
40 g3 tablespoons
oil/fat
04
3 g2 chillies
vegetable
05
White onion · Safed Pyazblended to a smooth paste
200 g
vegetable
07
to taste
salt
08
Coriander · Dhaniachopped, to garnish
to taste
herb
09
280 g
dairy
10
18 g3 tablespoons
flour
11
199 g200 ml
liquid

Method

  1. Mix 800 g lamb leg pieces with 15 g garlic paste in a bowl and set aside to marinate.
  2. Whisk 280 g Greek yoghurt with 18 g chickpea flour, the yoghurt mix spices (2.6 g Kashmiri chilli powder and 3 g ground turmeric) and 199 g water until lump-free; set aside.
  3. Crush 2.1 g cumin seed coarsely with a pestle and mortar; set aside.
  4. Melt 39.6 g ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the whole spices for the ghee (0.3 g asafoetida and 0.3 g clove) and 4 g green bird's-eye chilli slit lengthways; fry for a few seconds.
  5. Add 200 g white onion paste and fry over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan base.
  6. Add the marinated lamb and fry for 10 minutes, stirring as it browns and seals.
  7. Pour in 596 g water or lamb stock and add salt to taste. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring halfway; the lamb should be tender.
  8. Remove from the heat. Stir in the yoghurt mix a little at a time, whisking continuously for 2–3 minutes until fully added.
  9. Return to low heat and stir for 5–6 minutes until the gravy thickens. Turn off the heat.
  10. Stir in the finishing cumin. Garnish with chopped 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.

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.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Ghee
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.

  • Mustard oil

    Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Asafoetida
  • Garlic powder

    Use double the weight. Stir into hot oil just before adding wet ingredients; mimics the allium savoury background without the sulphurous edge.

  • Garlic paste

    Use 2 g for every 0.5 g of asafoetida. Sauté in oil until the raw smell clears; adds moisture and sweet allium depth.

Clove
  • Ground cloves

    Use 1 g ground for 4 g whole (or 1 small pinch per 2 to 3 whole cloves). Add with spice powders; disperses intense warmth quickly, so use with restraint.

  • Allspice berries

    Use 100% of the weight whole in tempering. Imparts a warm, clove-like aromatic profile combined with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.

  • Black cardamom pod

    Use 1 pod for 3 to 4 cloves in whole tempering. Shares a camphor-like warmth and medicinal depth, though it introduces a distinct smoky undertone.

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.

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.

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.

Greek yoghurt
Chickpea flour
  • Yellow split pea flour

    Use 100% of the weight. Many commercial gram flours are milled from split peas; performs identically in pakora batters and kadhi.

  • Cornstarch

    For crisping batters or binding cutlets: use 50% to 60% of the weight. Produces a very crisp shell but lacks the earthy, roasted nutty flavour of besan.

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.

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.

Water
  • Stock

    Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.

  • Milk

    Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.

  • Coconut water

    Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Similar dishes

Achari Gosht (Thali)
Slow-Cooked Lamb Curry in Pickling Spices
Achari Gosht is tangy, savoury and warmly hot from pickling spices and mango powder, while this dish is tangy and mild with a creamy yoghurt gravy.
  • Same: Achari Gosht shares bone-in lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, asafoetida, clove, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, water and coriander with this dish.
  • Different: Achari Gosht uses vegetable oil instead of ghee, mango powder instead of yoghurt as the souring agent, and no chickpea flour, while adding mustard seed, fennel seed, black cardamom, dried Kashmiri chilli and brown sugar.
Kashmiri Kofte
Lamb Koftas in Sauce
Kashmiri Kofte tastes rich and aromatic with a savoury yogurt tang, while this dish is tangy and mild with a cumin finish.
  • Same: Kashmiri Kofte shares with this dish a lamb base, a yogurt-based sauce, and the spices cumin seed, asafoetida, clove, Kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric.
  • Different: Kashmiri Kofte uses minced lamb meatballs, mustard oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ground aniseed and dry ginger, and it lacks this dish's bone-in lamb, ghee, chickpea flour, onion and green chilli.
Tawe Ka Tikka
Stir-Fried Lamb with Garlic Green Chilli & Garam Masala
Tawe Ka Tikka is drier and sharper with green chilli heat, tomato tang and a lemon lift, while this dish is a mild, creamy, tangy yoghurt gravy with a cumin finish.
  • Same: Tawe Ka Tikka shares lamb, Greek yoghurt, garlic, ghee, white onion, green bird's-eye chilli, cumin seed and Kashmiri chilli powder with this dish.
  • Different: Tawe Ka Tikka uses lamb shoulder and adds ginger, meat tenderizer, tomato, lemon, cinnamon, black cardamom and clove, while this dish uses lamb leg on the bone and thickens yoghurt with chickpea flour and water or stock into a kadhi gravy.
Attirachi Perelan
Malabar Spicy Lamb Curry
Attirachi Perelan is savoury and spicy with fennel, pepper and cardamom aroma and a lightly creamy coconut gravy, whereas this dish is tangy and mild from yoghurt with a cumin finish.
  • Same: Attirachi Perelan shares lamb leg on the bone, white onion, garlic, green bird's-eye chilli, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander and lamb stock or water with this dish.
  • Different: Attirachi Perelan adds a turmeric marinade, fennel, black peppercorn, ginger, tomato, potato, green cardamom, curry leaf and a coconut milk finish in vegetable oil, while it lacks this dish's yoghurt, chickpea flour, ghee, cumin seed, asafoetida and clove.