Lamb, poppy seed and almond curry

My Favorite curry

Lamb, poppy seed and almond curry with basmati pilaf

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serves 8 - 10 (you don't want to go through all the effort unless you can put some in the freezer for later)

I've made this curry hundreds of times and with all forms of effort put in from not pre marinating the meat to using pre ground and unroasted spices. The extra effort always helps the end product without fail but even at its worst this is still a decent curry

THE CURRY

2kg diced lamb leg
1.5 liters good quality yoghurt
4 tblsp turmeric
4 tblsp salt

2 tbsp black or brown mustard seeds
4 large brown onions sliced
6 little red chillies minced - more or less depending on your tastes
8 cloves garlic minced
5cm ginger minced

4 tblsp roasted and ground cumin seeds
4 tbsp roasted and ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp roasted and ground cardamom seed pods
1 tsp roasted and ground cloves
1 tbsp roasted and ground black peppercorns
1 ground nutmeg or 1 tsp powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup poppy seeds
2 cups almonds - I like diced blanched almonds for this dish but you can use slivered or crushed almonds instead

-Marinated the lamb with the yoghurt, turmeric and salt the day before or up to 8 hours (so early morning for that evening if you forget)
-In a large pot fry the mustard seeds till they pop then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes on low then add the chillies, garlic and ginger and fry for a further few minutes till its all nice and smelly.
-Add the lamb mix and cook on a medium heat, stirring, until it all comes to the boil - this is when i get all the spices ready.
-Add the spices, poppy seeds and almonds, stir, turn down low, put a lid on and cook slowly for about 1/5 to 2 hours.
-Don't forget to stir the pot every 10 minutes so that the bottom doesn't burn and also it makes you hungry form all the delicious smells every time you lift the lid.
-Test for doneness by fishing a piece of meat out and taking a bite to see if its tender enough. Remember that some meat can be tougher than others and may take longer than I have mentioned.