When it is cold, rainy and wet, the body craves food that warms the soul. Some fragrant lamb curry spooned up with chunks of soft naan is just what is required to counter the effects of the weather.

Madras No. 4 Lamb Curry

The Ingredients

• 1 packet Madras Curry No. 4 whole spice blend
• 2 pounds leg of lamb (Trader Joe’s has boneless butterflied lamb leg, which is what I used)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• Fleur de Sel
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 Tablespoons plain yogurt

The Cooking

Trim and dice the lamb into 1 inch cubes. Grind the Madras Curry No. 4 with a mortar and pestle. Mix half of the freshly ground spices with the lamb and set aside. Next, chop the onion finely and sweat in two tablespoons of oil. Throw in a pinch of sugar – this will give the onions a beautiful brown color thanks to the magic of caramelization. When the onions have taken on a nice brown hue, pour in the remaining ground spices with a generous pinch of Fleur de Sel. Stir for a few minutes until the onions and spices are good friends.

Add the spice-coated lamb cubes into the onion mixture and stir well to sear the meat. Cover the pan, turn the heat down low and wait 10 minutes, which will allow the meat and spices to get well acquainted with the sauteed onions. Next, mix in four tablespoons of fresh yogurt, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lamb is tender.

Serve with hot naans. I used Trader Joe’s naans imported from India.

Yields 4-6 servings