Ingredients

serves 4-6

• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 ½ cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 kg (2 lb) cubed SHEEPDROVE mutton
• 200 g (7 oz) dried apricots
• 1 tsp red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• salt, black pepper
   

Cooking instructions

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) Gas 3.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden, 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, chilli, garam masala and tomato puree, and fry, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the mutton with the flour, stirring until it is thoroughly coated with the spiced mixture, then cook gently until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.

Add water just to cover and bring a simmer. Cover and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Alternatively, simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a little extra water if the curry starts to dry out.

Stir in the apricots, honey and vinegar and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and accompanied by creamy yoghurt and steamed rice.