TANDOORI LAMB CHOPS: NOT TAYYAB, BUT NOT BAD

I have not been able to stop thinking about lamb chops. It's your fault, of course. Had I not chosen to ask as a competition question what weight of lamb chops Tayyab serves in a week, I would not have spent most of yesterday day dreaming about them and doodling pictures of cutlets when I was supposed to be working on an article about communist era spirits.

By 5pm, I could stands no more and had to head to Waitrose to pick up some nice thick chops. I set them to rest in a marinade while I finished my real work. A couple of hours later, article written, they were ready to throw under the grill for a short while until crisp and golden.

The end result was not bad at all. Not up to Tayyab standards, of course, but well worth trying.

Here, in case anyone might be interested, is the recipe


INGREDIENTS


MARINADE
2 inches of fresh ginger (peeled)
4 cloves of garlic (peeled)
4 green chillies (seeds removed)
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 lemon (juice and zest)
3 tsp of saffron infused in water (optional)
3 tbsp whole milk yoghurt

2-4 Lamb chops Per Person (I use loin chops)

METHOD

Blend the ginger, garlic, chilli and salt with a little water until it becomes a paste.

Place the chops into a large bowl and add the paste rubbing well into the meat.

Add the saffron water, lemon juice and zest rubbing well into the meat.

Combine the dry spices with the yogurt and pour over the chops. Work the sauce into the meat until every chop has a good covering.

Cover with cling film and allow to sit for at least two hours. There is no need to place in the fridge, but if you do, make sure you allow time for the chops to come back to room temperature before cooking.

Remove some of the marinade and place the chops on a wire rack above a large roasting tin layered with foil to catch the juices.

Grill under a medium heat for 15 minutes turning once making sure that they become golden but do not burn.

Before serving, sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with a cucumber and mint raita.