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Slow-braised Leg of Lamb with Cheddar, Dried Nuts & Fruits Recipe

This tender Slow-braised Leg of Lamb with Montgomery’s Cheddar, Dried Nuts & Fruits Recipe combines a fine British ingredient – a tender leg of lamb – with the culinary traditions of India to recreate this classic and timeless dinner dish.
30 Mins 2 Hours Medium Serves 4
Image: Vivek Singh

Ingredients

  • 1 leg of spring lamb, weighing about 1½ kg
For the marinade
  • 250g Greek style yoghurt
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 2 onions, sliced and fried until crisp
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
For braising
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp royal (black) cumin
  • 5 no green cardamom
  • 3 cinnamon sticks approximately 2inch each
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup malt vinegar
  • Water
For the filling
  • 60g khoya (reduced milk cakes, available in Indian stores), grated
  • 60g Montgomery’s cheddar, grated
  • 4 dried figs, cut into 5mm (¼-inch) dices
  • 4 dried apricots, cut into 5mm (¼-inch) dices
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 2 tablespoons cashew nuts, roasted and crushed lightly
  • 2 tablespoons almond flakes, roasted
  • 2 tablespoons pistachio, roasted and crushed lightly
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
  • 4 green chillies, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon royal (black) cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • juice of 1 lime

Method

  1. Trim the excess fat off the lamb and, if your butcher hasn’t tunnel-boned it for you, remove the thighbone by cutting around it carefully with a carving knife to leave a cavity. Prick the leg on the outside with a fork.
  2. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Rub the marinade over the leg of lamb, both outside and inside the cavity, and leave for 15 minutes.
  3. To make the filling, combine all the ingredients and then use it to stuff the lamb leg. Truss the leg using a butcher’s needle and twine to close the open part completely.
  4. Transfer it to a roasting tray and add the ingredients for braising. Add enough water to cover the lamb leg, cover the tray with tin foil and place in an oven preheated to 175°C.
  5. Cook for about 2 hours until it is very tender and ready to fall off the bone. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down.
  6. Remove the leg from the liquid and allow it to dry, cool and keep aside. Pass the juices through a strainer and reserve to make a sauce.
  7. Cut the meat into slices 1cm (½ inch) thick and serve with accompaniments of your choice.
Slow-braised Leg of Lamb with Montgomery’s cheddar, Dried Nuts & Fruits Recipe

Recipe notes

This Slow-braised Leg of Lamb with Montgomery’s Cheddar, Dried Nuts & Fruits Recipe is courtesy of Vivek Singh, Executive Chef and CEO of the now closed Cinnamon Kitchen, Oxford.

Classically trained in India, Vivek has transformed the face of Indian cooking by drawing inspiration from age-old recipes and ideas and evolving them to create dishes ‘beyond authenticity’.

With a global reputation as one of the masters of Indian fine dining, Vivek’s signature culinary style marries modern Indian flavours with Western techniques.

Outside of the kitchen, Vivek has authored six cookbooks, and he is a regular face on both television and live cookery events across the country.

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