Lamb Shank Korma

This is an Indian curry recipe that is quite delicious, if a bit time-consuming. Depending on your spiciness tolerance, it is medium-ish spicy. It is an adaptation of the lamb shank korma recipe in Camellia Panjabi's book "50 great curries of india," which is an excellent book for curries.

This recipe is interesting for a couple of reasons:

- It uses lamb shanks: This is a cut of meat that American's don't cook with any frequency, but is quite delicious. One should treat it like beef stew meat or any other cut that is best when braised (i.e., browned over high heat and then cooked in liquid over a simmer for hours). Indeed, this recipe is an excellent example of the power of thoroughly browning meat - it increases the flavor enormously.
- It's spicy! I grew up eating virtually no spicy food, so this is a pleasant change (albeit one that makes me sweat a bit...)
- It has spices! I.e., it has interesting spices like coriander, garam masala, mace, and cardamom. Some of these can be a bit difficult to find, but I highly recommend it b/c there really isn't any substitute. Especially for mace, I recommend finding a good Indian grocery store - they usually have an excellent selection of spices.
- It uses saffron! Saffron, which is the world's most expensive spice, is the stigma of a flower. It is traditionally grown in Spain and India, and is a very labor-intensive crop. It is excellent for adding lots of color to dishes and a unique aroma.

As an fyi, plan a full 3 hours to make this recipe.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe:

3 tbsp oil
2 1/2 lbs lamb shanks (about 2 shanks)
2 strands saffron
1 tsp rosewater (or koera)
1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 oz cashews or almonds (or a mix)
1-2 jalapenos (remove seeds and pith if you want it milder)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chipotle powder or ground cayenne
3 tbsp full-fat yogurt
3/4 tsp ground mace
3 green cardamom pods, ground
juice of 1 lime

Heat 3 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch-oven. Thoroughly brown the lamb shanks on all sides. Remove the shanks and deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of water. Set the deglazing liquid with the meat.

Soak the saffron strands in the rosewater for at least 15 minutes

Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in the dutch-oven over medium to medium-high heat. Fry the onions for 15 minutes or until medium-brown. Add the cashews and almonds and continue to fry for 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onions are deep brown.

Using a spatula, extract the oil from the onions by pressing them against the side of the pot. Transfer the onions and nuts to a bowl and leave to cool. Place in a food processor and puree.

In the remaining oil, sauté the jalapeno, bay leaves, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, half of the garam masala, and the salt for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Lower the heat to medium-low. Mix in the paprika, chipotle powder, and yogurt. Add the lamb (but not the deglazing liquid). Stir continuously for 3 minutes and then leave to simmer until the yogurt is absorbed.

Add the friend onion puree and mix well. Add the remaining garam masala, the mace and cardamom powders, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the deglazing liquid and 3 3/4 cups water and cook for approximately 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Right before serving, add in the rosewater and lime juice and take out the bay leaves. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice.