Asia
Tandoori Lamb with Hell’s Fury Hot Sauce and Raita
Tandoori Lamb is a staple at Indian restaurants. This tandoori leg of lamb recipe starts with an aromatic marinade, then smoked for one and a half hours. Tender, juicy, and with a wonderful fragrance of cumin, yogurt, and other spices.
More Grilled Lamb Recipes:
Tandoori Lamb with Hell’s Fury Hot Sauce and Raita
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
For the tandoori marinade:
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and rough chopped
- 1-1/2 inches turmeric root, peeled and grated, or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 3 jalapenos, rough chopped (for milder tandoori, remove the seeds)
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder or 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups plain Greek-style whole milk yogurt
- 1 boneless leg of lamb, about 5 pounds, tied with butcher’s string
To finish the lamb:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) melted salted butter for basting
- 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- Cilantro sprigs
- 8 lemon wedges, for serving
- Hell’s Fury Hot Sauce (see recipe), for serving
- Raita (see recipe), for serving
- Naan, for serving (pre-packaged)
Recipe Steps
Step 1: Make the tandoori marinade: Place the garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, mustard, pepper, cumin, coriander mace, cardamom, turmeric, and cayenne in a food processor and finely chop. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream. Process to a coarse paste. Work in the lemon juice. Stop the motor and add the yogurt. Run the processor in short bursts just to mix. Do not over-process or the mixture may separate.
Step 2: Prepare the leg of lamb: Using the tip of a paring knife, make a series of small holes in the lamb, 1/2 inch deep and wide and 1-1/2 inches apart. Place the lamb in a baking dish or large resealable plastic bag. Slather with tandoori marinade, forcing it into the holes with a spatula. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning several times so the lamb marinates evenly.
Step 3: Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill.
Step 4: When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the leg of lamb, fat side up, in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. Lower the lid and cook the lamb until crusty and browned on the outside and cooked to taste, 1-1/2 hours for medium. (Indians like their lamb well done.) Halfway through cooking, start basting the lamb with melted butter, and continue basting every 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and baste one more time before serving.
Step 5: Serve the lamb on a bed of sliced onion and cilantro sprigs, with lemon wedges for squeezing. Serve the Hellish Relish, Raita, and naan on the side.
Recipe Tips
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