Guyanese lamb curry is tender chunks of lamb marinated in spices and aromatics, cooked in a delicious sauce. It is my husband’s favorite curry so I make it for my family on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
Guyanese Lamb Curry
Lamb curry or curry lamb… no matter what you call it, just make sure it’s delicious! This isn’t traditional Indian lamb curry but the Guyanese variation of this dish still packs plenty of flavor. I infuse Caribbean green seasoning with dry spices to create a rich, mouthwatering foundation for this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Lamb Curry Recipe
- A Family Favorite: Lamb is a delicacy so whenever I make it, it’s a treat for the family. It’s hearty and perfect for cold weather so it’s super satisfying during the winter to indulge at the dinner table surrounded by loved ones.
- Versatile: This recipe includes Whole30 and paleo friendly options.
- Flavorful: Curry lamb is known for its rich, deep, and complex flavors. The combination of aromatic spices and slow-cooked lamb is savory, spicy, and so satisfying.
Ingredients for Lamb Curry
Curry lamb is an aromatic dish that combines tender pieces of lamb with a flavorful curry sauce. The curry sauce is a combination of Guyanese green seasoning and an array of spices.
- Lamb: I buy my lamb from Sam’s club because lamb is hard to come by in Colorado. They have this really great, grass-fed, halal lamb that comes from New Zealand. Cut it into 1 to 2-inch chunks so they are perfectly bite-sized.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or cassava flour (for a gluten-free option) to remove the gamey taste from the lamb.
- Seasoning: Once the lamb has been adequately cleansed, season with ground ginger, salt, and black pepper/cayenne pepper.
Green Seasoning:
This is a puree of fresh herbs and veggies, blended down into a smooth sauce. This adds moisture to the dry spices used to make the curry.
- Green onions
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems
- Basil leaves
- Chopped curly parsley
- Wiri wiri pepper
- 1/4 cup of water
Spices:
- Curry powder use Whole30 compliant curry if on a round
- Roasted ground cumin can sub for 1 teaspoon of geera
- Garam Masala
- Ground coriander
- Ground mustard
- Amchar Masala
- Oil
- About 3 cups of water
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Lamb Curry
Prepare Lamb
Add lamb to a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle generously with flour. Mix together well, then set aside and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in order to remove all of the flour and drain any excess water.
Season lamb with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and a pinch of black or cayenne pepper then set aside.
Make Curry Paste
To make the green seasoning add all the green seasoning ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth paste forms. You may add up to 1 cup of water if needed for the blender. Then pour the green seasoning into a bowl, followed by all of the spices. Mix well to form a curry paste and set aside.
Cook Curry
Add oil to a large pot suitable for stews, on high heat. When the oil comes up to temperature, add the curry paste and cook stirring often until all the liquids cook down and a thick, almost dry paste is left. This should take about 10 minutes. (You may add an additional 2 tablespoons of oil if it starts to stick or burn.)
Sauté Lamb to Curry
Add a third of the seasoned lamb to the pot and sauté until most of the pink color is gone. Continue to add lamb to the pot gradually. Continue to sauté on high until all the pink color of the lamb is no longer there and the lamb starts to brown. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
After about 5 minutes lots of juices from the lamb would have formed a sauce in the pot, give the lamb a stir then cover again and let those juices cook down to form a very thick curry sauce. Once this happens add 1 cup of water to your lamb and bring that water to a boil.
Slow Cook Curry Lamb
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to simmer (low), and let the lamb slow cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of the lamb, if more cooking is needed add 1/2 cup of water, mix well, cover and continue to cook on simmer
Check the lamb again after 20 to 30 minutes and add more water if needed. After about 1 1/2 hours of total slow cooking, your lamb should be ready, check the lamb to see if it has the desired tenderness. You may also add 1/2 cup more water at this point if the curry is too thick
If you choose to add some water at the end, you should increase the heat to medium and bring the curry to a quick boil to allow that little bit of water to cook into the curry sauce. Remove from the heat and enjoy warm.
The Youtube Video Tutorial:
I made a video tutorial to make it easier for you to follow the recipe. Take a look for tips and essential steps, before trying the recipe!
Storage
Store leftover lamb curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. rehat in the microwave or over medium heat until it’s warmed through.
Tips for the Best Lamb Curry
- Keep your freezer stocked with lamb so you can make this recipe whenever the craving strikes. I keep a leg of lamb in my freezer for moments when I want to make easy lamb curry or lamb stew and can’t get to Sam’s Club.
- After combining the green seasoning and spices, stir continuously in order to prevent your curry from burning.
- Add lamb slowly for even cooking. Add a portion, mix well, sauté, and then add more, and so on.
- Be sure to brown the meat. This gives the lamb a golden brown crust that locks in the flavor.
- Once all of the lamb has been sautéed, cover the pot. This makes a delicious gravy that cooks down into a thick curry sauce.
- Save time by making instant pot lamb curry. This recipe takes time to slow cook on the stovetop, by using an instant pot or pressure cooker is a great shortcut! Brown your meat on the stovetop, then add it to your instant pot and you’ll have tender lamb in 30 minutes. See below for the recipe card with instant pot instructions. Don’t have an instant pot, buy one here. It will change the way you cook!
Ways to enjoy your Lamb Curry:
This dish is best enjoyed with paratha roti or Dhal Puri or Potato Roti but you can also have it with some white or jasmine rice. I like mine with Coconut Cauliflower Rice or with gluten free roti (since I can no longer enjoy real deal roti).
This time around, I enjoyed my lamb with some coconut riced cauliflower and sweet potatoes and some Ghost Pepper Tamarind Sauce from Saucy Lips. This sauce tastes just like tamarind sour!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Lamb shoulder or stew meat is ideal for curry. Boneless lamb is great for convenience but use bone-in lamb for a deeper flavor.
Lamb meat is a tough cut that takes time to cook. On the stove, it takes nearly 2 hours and in the instant pot, the cook time is about 45 minutes.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, lambs are sheep that are below one year old. Mutton refers to adult sheep.
Lamb Curry (Whole30/Paleo)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs of lamb cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
- 1/2 cup of All Purpose flour or Cassava Flour for a gluten free option
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- pinch of black pepper or cayenne pepper
Green Seasoning:
- 4 green onions
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 6-8 cloves of garlic
- 4 sprigs of thyme leaves removed from the stems
- 3 large basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of chopped curly parsley
- 1 wiri wiri pepper or other chili optional
- 1/4 cup of water
Spices:
- 4 tablespoons of curry powder use Whole30 compliant curry if on a round
- 1 tablespoon of roasted ground cumin can sub for 1 teaspoon of geera
- 1/2 teaspoon of Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of Amchar Masala
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- About 3 cups of water
Instructions
- Add lamb to a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle generously with flour
- Mix together well, then set aside and let rest for 5 to 10 minute
- Next, rinse thoroughly to remove all of the flour and drain any excess water
- Season lamb with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and a pinch of black or cayenne pepper then set aside
- To make the green seasoning add all the green seasoning ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth paste forms. You may add up to 1 cup of water if needed for the blender
- Then pour the green seasoning into a bowl, followed by all of the spices
- Next, mix together well to form a curry paste and set aside
- Add the oil to a large pot suitable for stews, on high heat
- When the oil comes up to temperature add curry paste and cook stirring often until all the liquids cook down and a thick, almost dry paste is left. This should take about 10 minutes
- You may add an additional 2 tablespoons of oil if it starts to stick or burn
- Then add a third of the seasoned lamb to the pot and sauté until most of the pink color is gone
- Repeat step 11 until all the lamb has been added to the pot
- Then continue to sauté on high until all the pink color of the lamb is no longer there and the lamb starts to brown
- Next reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes
- After about 5 minutes lots of juices from the lamb would have formed a sauce in the pot, give the lamb a stir then cover again and let those juices cook down to form a very thick curry sauce
- Once this happens add 1 cup of water to your lamb and bring that water to a boil
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to simmer (low) and let the lamb slow cook for 30 minutes
- After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of the lamb, if more cooking is needed add 1/2 cup of water, mix well, cover and continue to cook on simmer
- Check lamb again after 20 to 30 minutes and add more water if needed
- After about 1 1/2 hours of total slow cooking, your lamb should be ready, check the lamb to see if it is the desired tenderness. You may also add 1/2 cup more water at this point if the curry is too thick
- If you choose to add some water at the end, you should increase the heat to medium and bring the curry to a quick boil to allow that little bit of water to cook into the curry sauce
- Remove from the heat and enjoy warm
Notes
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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