Spiced roast leg of lamb (raan)

This sumptuous Indian dish was originally made to tenderise the

tough hind legs of a goat, considered inferior to the tender front
limbs. The flavours work brilliantly with lamb, however, and the
recipe is easy dont be put off by the overnight marination. The
leftovers are sensational the next day in sandwiches or salads.
SERVES
6-8
PREPARATION
45MIN
COOKING
2hr
SKILL LEVEL
EASY
By
Leanne Kitchen
Give it 4.5/5

G
IVE IT 0.5/5
G
IVE IT 1/5
G
IVE IT 1.5/5
G
IVE IT 2/5
G
IVE IT 2.5/5
G
IVE IT 3/5
G
IVE IT 3.5/5
G
IVE IT 4/5
G
IVE IT 4.5/5
G
IVE IT 5/5
AVERAGE: 4.5 (1 VOTE)
Ingredients
1 x 2.5 kgleg of lamb
ground pepper, to taste
1large pinch of saffron threads
2 tbspground almonds
1 tbsphoney, warmed
250 ml(1 cup) Greek style yogurt
60 ml( cup) ghee
2cinnamon sticks, broken in half
8cardamom pods, bruised
1 tspcloves
35 g( cup) slivered almonds
Marinade
3cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tspsalt
1 tbspchopped ginger
3 tspground cumin
1 tspgaram masala
tspeach chilli powder and turmeric
2 tbsplemon juice
1 tbspvegetable oil
Cook's notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the
temperature by 20C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5
ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless
specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled,
unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Instructions
Resting time 20 minutes
Marinating time 8 hours
You will need to begin this recipe a day ahead.
Trim all fat and silver skin from the lamb. Using a small sharp knife, make deep
incisions all over the lamb. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small food
processor and process, scraping down the sides occasionally, until a coarse paste
forms. Rub the paste all over the lamb, pushing it into the incisions as you go. Season
the lamb with ground pepper. Place lamb in a non-reactive dish. In a bowl, stir together
the saffron, ground almonds, honey and yoghurt and pour over the lamb. Turn the lamb
to coat in the yoghurt mixture then cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 8 hours or
up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 180C. Transfer the lamb to a roasting dish large enough to fit it snugly
and spoon the yoghurt mixture over it. Heat the ghee in a small frying pan over medium,
add the whole spices and cook, tossing the pan, for 2 minutes or until spices are
fragrant. Pour the mixture over the lamb, scatter over the slivered almonds, then cover
the dish loosely with foil. Roast lamb for 2-2 hours, or until juices are still running a
little pink, and adding a few tablespoons of water to the dish occasionally to stop the
yoghurt mixture catching around the edges. Remove the lamb from the oven and rest
for 20 minutes then serve, carved in thick slices.


Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah OBrien. Food preparation by Nick
Banbury.