Spiced lamb cutlets with mint chutney and curry leaves

Step 1

Toast the whole spices in a hot dry pan for about 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder

Step 2

Transfer the powder to a bowl along with the pastes, lemon juice, oil and a pinch of salt and mix well. Add the lamb cutlets and mix to coat evenly. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight

Step 3

To make the mint chutney, place the mint, coriander and chillies in a blender with the lemon juice and a splash of water. Blend until you have a smooth sauce, adding a little more water if needed. Stir through the yoghurt then taste and season with salt

Step 4

Bring the lamb out of the fridge to get to room temperature before cooking. Cook on a barbecue, under the grill, or in a pan for 2–3 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the cutlets. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving

Step 5

While the lamb is cooking and resting, heat the ghee in a pan until it is just about to smoke, then add the curry leaves, black pepper, asafoetida and three-quarters of the mint leaves and cook until crisp. Pour over the cooked lamb cutlets just before serving

Step 6

Finely slice the remaining mint and sprinkle over too. Serve the cutlets hot with the mint chutney on the side