Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp groundnut oil
- 8 lamb shanks (or 6 large ones)
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- About 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 dried red chilli, crumbled or 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grate
- Black pepper
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Marsala
- 6 tbsp red lentils
- Garnish: 3 tbsp chopped pistachios/blanched almonds
Method:
Put 3 tbsp oil into large heavy-bottomed pan and warm over medium heat. Brown the lamb shanks, in batches, in the pan and then set aside. Peel onions and garlic and process in food processor or chop finely. Add the remaining oil to pan and fry the onion-garlic paste until soft, sprinkling salt over to stop it catching.
Stir in turmeric, ground ginger, chilli, cinnamon and nutmeg. Season with some pepper. Stir again, adding the honey, soy and Marsala. Put shanks back in pan, add cold water almost to cover, bring to the boil and put on lid, lower heat and simmer very gently for 2 hrs or until meat is tender.
Add lentils and cook for 20 mins without the lid until lentils are soft and the sauce thickened. Check for seasoning add more soy if needed.
Toast the nuts in a dry pan and sprinkle onto lamb before serving.
Serve with Fragrant Couscous, Fragrant Rice or good old mash.