Lamb shawarma

Step 1

For spice paste, dry-roast whole spices in a frying pan until fragrant (30-40 seconds). Cool, then finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in paprika, coriander and garlic, then stir in enough oil to loosen and form an easily spreadable paste.

Step 2

Place lamb in a non-reactive container (see note), rub paste all over lamb and refrigerate to marinate (4-6 hours or overnight).

Step 3

Preheat oven to 160°C. Season lamb with salt and place in a roasting pan with 1.5cm water. Cover with a layer of baking paper, seal tightly with foil, then braise in oven until lamb is very tender (3½-4 hours; it should feel soft to the touch through the foil). Remove foil, increase heat to 180°C and roast until lamb is golden brown (25-35 minutes). Remove from oven and loosely re-cover with foil to rest (20-30 minutes).

Step 4

For garlic yoghurt, combine yoghurt and garlic in a bowl, season to taste with lemon juice, and refrigerate until required.

Step 5

Squeeze lemon over lamb, top with pan juices, season with salt flakes and serve with salad, garlic yoghurt and flatbread.