Ingredients

vegetable oil

leg of lamb or lamb shoulder - boneless and cut into 1-inch cubes. You could also replace this with stewing beef for a beef curry.

onion

garlic

seasonings - garam masala powder, yellow curry powder, cumin seeds (or powdered cumin), and salt.

coconut milk - I used full-fat coconut milk to get the most creaminess. Lite coconut milk works too and tastes delicious, just not as creamy.

tomato paste

potatoes

carrots

fresh cilantro - for garnish on top. You can also garnish with a swirl of coconut milk.

Hearty coconut lamb curry is an easy one pot meal that is packed with flavour. Make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker and freeze leftovers for later. | aheadofthyme.com

How to Make the Best Coconut Lamb Curry

Cook the lamb. Heat oil in a 4 qt. Dutch oven or a large cooking pot for 2 minutes over medium high until the oil starts to sizzle and shimmer. Add in cubed lamb and stir well to cook evenly until browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Sauté onion and garlic. Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes until tender.

Add seasonings. Add garam masala, yellow curry powder, cumin seeds, and salt. Stir well to coat the lamb, and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Add coconut milk. Add coconut milk and tomato paste. Stir well and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cover the lid. Simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until the lamb is fork tender. Use a fork to check the tenderness of the lamb. If you are able to insert a fork in the center of lamb with little resistance, it's cooked fork tender.

Add vegetables. Add potatoes and carrots and bring to a simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally and cook for 45 minutes until the potatoes and carrots start to soften.

Rest and serve. Remove the pot from heat and let rest for 20 minutes to cool down a little. Serve the coconut lamb curry with Basmati rice, rice pilaf or garlic naan bread and garnish with cilantro.

How to Make Coconut Lamb Curry in the Slow Cooker

You can easily make this curry in the slow cooker. Follow the first two steps of the recipe as written (cook the lamb in a large skillet to brown the lamb, then add onions and garlic and sauté until soft). Then, transfer the lamb mixture to the slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients. Cover with the lid and set to cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Add water if needed to dilute the curry a bit.

How to Serve Coconut Lamb Curry

I served this coconut lamb curry with a side of Basmati rice. A side of rice pilaf or garlic naan bread also pairs beautifully for a complete meal and for or dipping and soaking up all that delicious curry. To add some more sides to your dinner, this pairs really nicely with roasted vegetables such as roasted cauliflower.

Tips

Customize the curry. You can easily customize this lamb curry by adding in different vegetables. I like potatoes and carrots because they are so comforting in a curry like this. Some other vegetables that work well are cauliflower and broccoli, as they also soak in all the delicious curry juice. Any starchy vegetables work well too such as sweet potatoes and yams.
Let the stew rest. Let the curry rest for at least 20 minutes to cool down and also to let the flavours infuse into the curry. This is really important. In fact, the longer you let it rest, the more flavourful the lamb curry gets.
How to store. Store the leftovers in the pot with the lid on (for easy reheating the next day) or in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
How to freeze. Store lamb curry in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Use it for meal prep. This is an ideal recipe for meal prep because it stores and freezes beautifully. Portion out some rice and curry in meal prep containers and store in the refrigerator to eat throughout the week, or in the freezer to last longer.
How to reheat. Reheat leftovers over the stove on medium heat until warmed through or in the microwave. If reheating from frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.

Recipe