Easy Lamb Curry Recipe

This Easy Lamb Curry Recipe is a flavorful dish mixing lamb in a rich, spiced sauce and a combination of onion, garlic, ginger, and various spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and garam masala. This dish simmers until the lamb is tender. This dish is typically served with rice and naan bread.

EASY LAMB CURRY RECIPE

Today’s Easy Lamb Curry Recipe is packed with rich, warm spices and tender lamb.

If you like indian curry you have to try this flavorful curry.

This recipe mixes tender lamb with warm spices, chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic and fresh ginger and is finished off with Greek yogurt and fresh cilantro.

I like to serve this dish with basmati rice and soft naan bread.

Lamb is such a versatile protein and because of its robust flavor you can really spice it up. Here are some of my family favorite lamb recipes, try my Lamb Croquettes, Spiced Ground Lamb Pita, Braised Lamb Shanks, or my Lamb Koftas.

You might also like my Butter Chicken, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry and this Slow Cooker Beef Curry.

Why You Will Love This Lamb Curry Recipe

Easy to Make: Despite the longer cooking time, and the longer list of ingredients, this lamb curry is really a simple curry. Hands on prep time is minimal, only 10 minutes, then you can leave it simmer on the stove.

Make Ahead: This curry recipe is a great make ahead dish for meal-prep. As is the case with most curries, it will taste even better when allowed to sit as the flavors meld together and intensify. 

Double the Recipe: This recipe can be doubled up if you are feeding a larger group or if you want to freeze half for later. This curry freezes really well, so double the portion, enjoying some now and freezing the rest of the curry in individual portions, for an easy meal another day.

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil – olive oil is always my go to, but you can use other light oils like sunflower or avocado.
• Onion – I use a regular onion to flavor the base of my curry sauce.
• Garlic – for the best flavor I like to use fresh garlic, but garlic puree or frozen garlic are good substitutes.
• Ginger – for the best flavor I like to use freshly grated ginger, but pureed or ground ginger can be used if you can’t find fresh.
• Ground spices – I use a combination of ground spices in this curry sauce including garam masala, ground cumin, curry powder, turmeric, coriander and cayenne pepper.
• Lamb – I use lamb leg or shoulder as they are great cuts for slow cooking. If you can find lamb stew meat that works too.
• Tomato – I use both tomato paste and a can of chopped tomatoes in the curry sauce.
• Broth – I keep things light and use vegetable broth.
• Bay leaves – I add 2 bay leaves to flavor the curry sauce.
• Sugar – a teaspoon of sugar is added to the curry to balance the sauce and help temper the spices.
• Seasoning – I taste the sauce and season it with some salt and black pepper.
• Greek yogurt – I finish the sauce with Greek yogurt which gives it a creaminess. The yogurt also adds some acidity which balances the sauce.
• Garnish – I garnish the curry with some freshly chopped cilantro and some lime wedges.

How to Make this Simple Lamb Curry Recipe

1. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger

Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet or casserole dish or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, around 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and fresh ginger and continue to cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.

2. Add the ground spices

Add the garam masala, cumin, curry powder, ground turmeric, ground coriander and cayenne pepper. Stir well, cooking for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the lamb

Add the lamb meat and stir to coat in the spices.

4. Add the curry sauce ingredients

Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and sugar. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and simmer. Leave to simmer, uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes.

5. Finish and serve the curry

Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir through the Greek yogurt. Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve the curry with a wedge of lime. You can also serve with a dollop of plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.

Recipe Modifications for this Lamb Curry Recipe

• Lamb: this curry is made with lamb, but you can swap the lamb for other meat. Try it with chicken, beef or pork, just make sure you adjust cooking times depending on what you are cooking, eg some chicken thighs will cook a lot quicker than lamb shoulder.
• Spices: the blend of spices I’ve used add flavor, however, if there’s a spice that you don’t like simply leave it out.
• Broth: I’ve opted for vegetable broth in this recipe, but you can swap it for chicken broth or chicken stock or lamb broth. Try making a homemade chicken broth to use.
• Vegetables: I’ve used onion and tomatoes in this recipe, but you can add in extra veggies towards the last 30 minutes of the cook. Try mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, or green beans.
• Leafy greens: Add a handful of spinach at the end of the cook and allow to wilt into the sauce. You could also use kale or swiss chard. 
• Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are always a nice finishing touch to curry. I like to add a garnish of chopped cilantro but parsley would also work.
• Greek yogurt: The curry sauce is finished with Greek yogurt which adds acidity and gives the curry sauce a creamy texture. For a dairy free alternative swap Greek yogurt for a dairy free yogurt, or some full fat coconut milk.

Recipe Tips

• Adjusting the heat: the heat of this curry can be adjusted using more or less curry powder. Add more if you like a spicy curry, add less if you like your curries on the milder side. You can add jalapeños, hot sauce or crushed red pepper.
• Best Cuts of Lamb: I find the shoulder, leg of lamb, or shank are ideal for curries because they become tender and flavorful when slow-cooked. These cuts have more fat and connective tissue, which melts and adds richness to the curry.
• Trim Fat: While some fat adds flavor, too much can make the curry greasy. Trim large pieces of fat, but leave a little for that extra taste.
• Slow Cooking: You can slow cook this dish on low for 6-8 hours. This is an easy way to create a tender, flavorful curry while you are away working all day or busy on the weekends.
• Leftovers: leftover curry can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: to reheat the curry place it in a pot on the stovetop, or in the microwave, and warm through. Add a splash of broth or water if the curry look too dry.
• Freeze: once cooked and cooled, place the curry into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight and warm up on the stove when ready to enjoy.

What to Serve with Lamb Curry

Serve this delicious curry with some steamed white rice, cauliflower rice, brown rice, my Coconut Rice Salad, or Instant Pot Fried Rice.

Bread is always a great choice for dipping into the curry sauce, try my Easy Homemade Naan, Air Fryer Pita Chips, or my Homemade Baked Pita Chips.

I like adding salads alongside curry, try my Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, or this Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing. Or for a vegetable side option try my Lebanese Green Beans, Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower, or this Simple Roasted Broccoli dish. 

Other Curry Recipes You Might Like:

CHICKPEAS WITH CURRY

CAULIFLOWER CURRY

CURRY MEATBALLS

EASY EGGPLANT CURRY

EASY SHRIMP CURRY

RED LENTIL CURRY

SLOW COOKER BEEF CURRY

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CURRY