Slow-Cooked Lamb Curry

This dreadful weather calls for slow-cooked meats, comfort food and warming spices to soothe the body and the soul. This dish is an absolute dream both to make and eat - low effort, maximum pleasure!

There's something so special about lamb that has been cooked for hours on end until the fat has completely rendered out, melting into the sauce, and the meat falls apart if a spoon so much as looks at it. Pair that with sweet caramelised onions, fiery curry spices, creamy coconut milk, fresh spinach and herbs and a dollop of sour natural yoghurt to cut through it all - joyful!

Slow-Cooked Lamb Curry

Serves 4

oil

300g diced lamb

1 red onion, sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced

200g curry paste (I use this recipe but feel free to buy some)

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

400g tin of coconut milk

100g baby spinach

large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

To serve:

rice
naan bread
yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large casserole over a high heat. Cook the lamb in batches until browned and charred on the outside. Set to one side.

Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions in the residual oil, adding more if necessary. Season with plenty of salt and pepper then put the lid on and let them slowly caramelise for around 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the lamb.

Heat the curry paste in the pan, turning up the heat to medium, and stirring regularly until fragrant. Add the onions and lamb back to the pan along with the pepper, tomatoes and coconut milk. Season liberally with salt and pepper, give everything a good stir and then cook in the oven for 2-3 hours. Check every now and then and top up with water if it starts to dry up.

Remove the pan from the oven, stir in the spinach and parsley and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve the curry with rice, naan for dipping and a dollop of yoghurt.