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Indian-spiced leg of lamb with pilau rice recipe

Indian-spiced leg of lamb with pilau rice recipe

53 ratings

An aromatic Indian twist on the traditional roast lamb, this tender roast lamb is packed full of flavours as it's slowly marinated overnight. Try serving this succulent Indian-spiced leg of lamb with a side of fluffy pilau rice. See method

  • Serves 6-8
  • 20 mins to prepare, plus marinating overnight and 1hr 30mins to cook, plus 30 mins for resting
  • 764 calories / serving

Ingredients

    For the lamb

    • 2tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • 1tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2tsp ground turmeric
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
    • 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
    • 90ml (6tbsp) Greek yogurt
    • 30ml (2tbsp) lemon juice
    • 2.4kg (5lb) leg of lamb
    • handful fresh coriander

    For the rice

    • 450g (14oz) basmati rice
    • 25g butter
    • 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
    • 4 cardamom pods
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • pinch saffron thread
    • 2tbsp raisins
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 600ml (1pint) chicken stock
    • 4tbsp flaked toasted almonds
    • coriander leaves, to serve
If you don't have yogurt, try using cream instead

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    3195kj
    764kcal     38%

  • Fat

    45g 64%

  • Saturates

    21g 104%

  • Sugars

    4g 5%

  • Salt

    1g 16%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 52.3g Protein 42.3g Fibre 3g

Method

  1. To make the spiced lamb, put all the spices in a medium frying pan and cook for one minute or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. Tip the fragrant spice mix into a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, yogurt and lemon juice. Stir well to combine.
  3. Cut deep slits into the lamb and rub the spice mixture all over the meat, making sure to push some of the mixture into the slits. Put the lamb into a large sealable bag and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Sit the lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting tin, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, remove the foil and cook for a further 30-45 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the rice. Rinse the rice with several changes of water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes in cold water. Melt the butter and cook the onion on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the spices and saffron and cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add the rice and raisins and stir until all the rice is thoroughly coated in the butter and spices. Pour over the stock and bring the rice to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork then stir through the flaked almonds and fresh coriander.
  7. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover and rest for 30 minutes before serving.

See more Lamb Recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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