Lamb Chops and Side Dishes Indian Style

The arrival some fat juicy lamb chops was my sort of perfect gift and one that led to a delicious dinner for two.

Pairing lamb with Indian flavours is an aspect that interests me, I wanted the dish to be succulent not dry and to have a sauce. I was also keen to try a cauliflower dish which I learnt at a masterclass at the wonderful River Cottage Spring Food Festival in May last year.

After some recipe research here is the menu that emerged

• Marinaded Lamb Chops
• Creamy Coconut Milk Sauce
• Cauliflower Pakora
• Spicy Green Beans
• Nan Bread

As you can see I mixed and matched the recipes from a variety of sources and the combination was perfect.

The chops were from our local meat supplier, sourced from Smithfield they were on the large side and marinaded for a couple of hours in greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and ginger plus a range of spices.  The mix was based on this recipe from Suvir Saran http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/luscious-tandoori-lamb-chops and worked perfectly. To cook I browned the chops on all side then put the pan (a new favourite with a detachable handle) into the oven for 25 minutes uncovered then rested the meat for 5 minutes before serving.

The coconut milk sauce combined sautéed onion, chilli and more spices plus one of my current favourite ingredients of powdered coconut milk from Maggi which is perfect for adding the amount to suit the dish and if required can be thicker than the tinned variety.

The shallow fried cauliflower pakora contains chickpea or gram flour and was crunchy and spicy.  Taken from a River Cottage recipe this would also be excellent with onions and a good vegetarian option.

https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/cauliflower-pakoras-with-tamarind-raita cooking this brought back happy memories of the Spring Food Festival a truly memorable day out with perfect weather in a wonderful Devon setting.

A new chef (to me anyway) is Maunika Gowarden and it was her method that I followed for the nan bread she has some wonderful recipes on her web site many of which I plan to try http://maunikagowardhan.co.uk

Preparation was the key for this meal and then a fairly intense 45 minutes of cooking where I would advise following a timed plan.

The result was a perfectly matched Indian style meal with the lamb the star.