Meat & Pork

Serving

Lamb Curry

Name: Lamb Curry
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Meat & Pork
Ingredients: 2 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch cubes; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup plain yogurt; 1 1/2 cups water; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Tender lamb shoulder simmered with onions, tomatoes, and warm spices in a rich, fragrant yogurt-based curry sauce.

100 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

35 min prep

55 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb in batches, about 5 minutes per batch; set aside.
2
Add onions to the pot and cook until deeply golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
3
Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala and toast 1 minute until fragrant.
4
Stir in crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, then whisk in the yogurt until smooth.
5
Return the lamb to the pot, add water and salt, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 60-70 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender.
6
Uncover and simmer 10 more minutes to thicken the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or flatbread.

Lamb Curry — plated and served — Serving moment. How Lamb Curry looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

56/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 51

Budget-friendly 40

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 27

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

550

Calories

41 g

Protein

7 g

Carbs

39 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

This pot-style lamb curry follows a broad South Asian home-cooking pattern: brown the meat, build a deep onion base, bloom ground spices, then simmer until the sauce and meat settle into each other. Yogurt-based curries are often used with richer meats because the tang helps balance lamb's weight and softens the edges of the tomato and spice mixture.

Listahan note

This version keeps the method approachable with ground spices and canned crushed tomatoes, then spends its time where lamb needs it: proper browning, patient onions, and a low simmer until the shoulder turns tender.

Technique cues

Brown the lamb in batches so the cubes sear instead of steaming; the browned bits left in the pot become part of the curry's base.
Cook the onions until deeply golden, not just soft. That color gives the sauce sweetness and body without needing extra ingredients.
Whisk the yogurt into the tomato mixture before the lamb goes back in so it blends smoothly instead of breaking into visible curds.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start rice or warm flatbread while the lamb is in its covered simmer; the last 10 minutes are mostly for sauce thickening.
Make-ahead: Cook the curry fully, cool it with the sauce, and reheat gently later; the spices taste more settled after a rest.
Leftover move: Spoon chopped leftover lamb and sauce over roasted potatoes, rice, or a flatbread wrap with cilantro.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the yogurt measuring cup right away, then soak the curry pot after serving so the tomato-spice film releases easily.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Lamb shoulder

Main protein

Purpose: Shoulder has enough connective tissue and fat to become tender during a long simmer while keeping a full lamb flavor.

Handling: Cut into even 1.5-inch cubes and pat dry before browning so the surfaces can sear.

Adaptation: Boneless lamb leg works for a leaner curry, but it can finish drier if simmered as long as shoulder.

Onions

Sauce foundation

Purpose: Finely chopped onions cook down into sweetness and help thicken the curry without a separate thickener.

Handling: Cook past translucent until the onions are golden and reduced, scraping the pot as they soften.

Adaptation: A yellow onion gives the roundest flavor; red onion works and brings a slightly sharper edge.

Garlic and fresh ginger

Aromatic base

Purpose: Together they give the curry its warm, savory backbone before the dry spices go in.

Handling: Add them after the onions are browned and cook briefly so they smell fragrant but do not scorch.

Adaptation: Ginger paste and garlic paste can work in the same amounts, though fresh gives a cleaner bite.

Ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala

Spice blend

Purpose: Cumin and coriander provide earthiness, turmeric adds warmth and color, chili powder brings heat, and garam masala rounds the sauce at the edges.

Handling: Toast the spices in the oil-coated onion mixture for about a minute so they bloom before the tomatoes are added.

Adaptation: Use mild chili powder for a gentler curry, or reduce it and let the garam masala carry more of the aroma.

Crushed tomatoes

Sauce body and acidity

Purpose: Tomatoes loosen the onion-spice base and add enough acidity to keep the rich lamb from tasting heavy.

Handling: Cook them for several minutes before adding yogurt so the raw canned flavor softens.

Adaptation: Finely chopped fresh tomatoes work when ripe, but they may need extra cooking time to break down.

Plain yogurt

Tangy sauce enricher

Purpose: Yogurt adds body and a gentle tang that balances the lamb, tomatoes, and spices.

Handling: Whisk it in over moderate heat until smooth, then keep the simmer low once the lamb returns.

Adaptation: Unsweetened coconut milk makes the sauce softer and richer, with less tang and a different aroma.

Technique notes

Keep the heat controlled after adding yogurt. A hard boil can make the sauce look grainy even if the flavor is still good.
If the sauce tastes flat near the end, simmer uncovered a little longer before adding more salt; concentration often fixes the balance.
Add cilantro only at serving so it stays fresh against the heavier sauce instead of disappearing into the simmer.

Ingredient swaps

Coconut milk route: Use unsweetened coconut milk instead of plain yogurt for a rounder, less tangy sauce; simmer gently because it thickens differently.
Weeknight shortcut: Use smaller lamb cubes and a wider pot to reduce simmering time, but check tenderness before thickening the sauce.
Heat control: Cut the chili powder in half for a milder curry, then add more garam masala near the end if you still want warmth.
Tomato adjustment: If the tomatoes taste sharp, cook the sauce uncovered a few extra minutes before serving so the acidity softens.

Serve alongside

Steamed basmati rice
Garlic naan
Cucumber raita
Kachumber salad
Mango lassi
Iced black tea with lemon
Light lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the lamb with plenty of sauce in a sealed container so the pieces stay moist.
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water, stirring occasionally until the sauce loosens.
Freeze in sauce, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then simmer uncovered to bring back the thicker curry texture.

Equipment

Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large pot
Tongs for browning lamb
Wooden spoon for scraping the pot
Whisk for blending yogurt into the sauce

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