Lamb & Green Chilli Curry with Pineapple Pickle Salad

Ingredients

• 100 gnatural yoghurt
• 300 gdiced lamb shoulder
• 1/2 tspsea salt
• 1/2 tspground cinnamon
• 1/4 tspground coriander
• a pinchground cloves
• 15green cardamom pods
• 1 smallonion
• 4 large clovesgarlic
• 15 gfresh ginger
• 1 tbsplight oil
• 2 largegreen chillies
• 200 mlpassata
• 250 mlwater
• 150 gwhite basmati rice
• a large knobunsalted butter
• 2whole cloves
• 1/2cinnamon stick
• 4green cardamom pods
• 1/4 tspsea salt
• 175 mlboiling water
• 1/2 smallred onion
• 1 tspwhite wine vinegar
• 1/4 tspgolden caster sugar
• 1/2 tspsea salt
• 200 gfresh pineapple
• a small handfulfresh coriander

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the lamb

   Ideally the night before, or at least an hour before cooking, mix the lamb with the yoghurt, 1/2 tsp sea salt, cinnamon, ground coriander and a pinch of ground cloves. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, grind them finely in a mortar and pestle, and stir them in. Set aside to marinate.

2. 2

   Blend the aromatics

   Peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Blitz them together in a mini chopper or food processor until smooth.

3. 3

   Fry the paste

   Warm the oil over a medium-high heat in a large, lidded shallow casserole or frying pan. Add the blended vegetables and fry gently for about 5 minutes, until softened, aromatic and lightly golden.

4. 4

   Add the chillies

   Finely chop the chillies and add them to the pan. For a milder curry, remove the seeds and inner white membranes first. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until softened.

5. 5

   Simmer the curry

   Add the lamb and its yoghurt marinade, passata and 250 ml water, then stir to combine. Increase the heat until the sauce boils, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

6. 6

   Prepare the rice

   While the curry cooks, soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain it well in a sieve. Melt the butter in a small lidded saucepan over a medium heat until just frothy. Add the whole cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods, lightly bashed, and fry for 2–3 minutes until aromatic.

7. 7

   Cook the rice

   Stir in the drained rice until the grains are coated in the spiced butter, then add 1/4 tsp sea salt and 175 ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes, then take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Remove the whole spices and fluff the rice with a fork.

8. 8

   Make the salad

   Peel and finely slice the red onion. Mix the sugar, 1/2 tsp sea salt and vinegar in a small bowl, add the onion and toss well. Leave it to quick-pickle. Just before serving, pat the onion dry with kitchen towel and toss it with the cubed pineapple and roughly chopped coriander.

What is lamb and green chilli curry?

Curry covers a wide range of Indian dishes built around spiced sauces, and this version uses lamb shoulder, green chilli and a tomato base. Yoghurt and ground spices coat the lamb before cooking, while a paste of onion, garlic and ginger forms the curry’s aromatic starting point.

The pilau-style rice takes its fragrance from whole spices fried in butter, and pineapple salad brings a fresh, sharp-sweet contrast. Together, the rich curry, fluffy rice and crisp pickle make a balanced plate.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 850 calories, 38g protein, 76g carbs, 38g fat.

The lamb and butter contribute much of the fat, while the lamb and yoghurt provide most of the protein. Rice supplies most of the carbohydrates, with additional carbohydrate from the pineapple and passata. Balance the meal with a generous share of the pineapple salad or an extra green vegetable alongside the rice and curry.

Why marinate the lamb?

Yoghurt: it coats the diced shoulder and carries the salt and ground spices across the meat. Give it at least an hour to sit, or leave it overnight in the fridge for convenience.

Cardamom: only the seeds go into the lamb marinade, and grinding them finely helps distribute their perfume through the yoghurt. The pods reserved for the rice are used whole, with a light bash to help release their aroma.

Build the curry base

Aromatics: blitzing onion, garlic and ginger into a smooth paste gives the sauce a cohesive base. Fry it gently for about 5 minutes so it softens and turns lightly golden without catching.

Green chilli: the recipe cooks the chopped chillies for another 5 minutes before adding the lamb. Removing their seeds and inner membranes reduces the heat if you prefer a milder result.

How to tell when the curry is ready

Covered simmer: cook the lamb gently for 30 minutes with the lid on, which keeps moisture in the pan as the meat cooks. Keep the heat low once the sauce has come to the boil.

Final reduction: uncover the pan for the last 20 minutes so the sauce can thicken. It should look less watery and cling more readily to the lamb.

Keep the rice fluffy

Soaking: give the basmati rice 30 minutes in cold water, then drain it thoroughly before it goes into the spiced butter. This helps the grains cook evenly rather than sitting in excess soaking water.

Resting: once the rice has cooked for 12 minutes, leave it covered off the heat for 10 minutes. Keep the lid on during this time, then remove the whole spices and fluff gently with a fork.

Make the pineapple pickle

Quick pickle: tossing the thin red onion slices with vinegar, sugar and salt gives them a short, sharp cure while the other components finish. Pat them dry before adding them to the salad so excess liquid does not dilute the pineapple.

Fresh finish: cut the pineapple into small cubes and roughly chop the coriander just before serving. Their juicy sweetness and herbal freshness offset the curry’s richness.

What to serve with it

Serve the curry alongside the pilau-style rice, with the pineapple salad on the side or spooned over the top. That keeps the warm sauce, separate rice grains and crisp salad textures distinct.

For an easy addition, offer a simple green vegetable or extra fresh coriander at the table. The recipe already has a sweet-tart salad, so a plain accompaniment works well.

Recipe notes & tips

• Marinate the lamb overnight if you want to get the preparation out of the way before cooking.
• Grind the cardamom seeds finely for the marinade so they mix evenly into the yoghurt.
• Keep the aromatic paste at a gentle sizzle so it softens and colours without burning.
• Drain the soaked rice well before stirring it into the spiced butter.
• Leave the rice covered for its full 10-minute rest before fluffing it.
• Wait until serving to mix the pineapple and coriander with the pickled onion.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: remove the chilli seeds and inner membranes before chopping for a milder curry.
• Use a different cut: diced lamb leg can stand in for shoulder, though it may cook to a different tenderness.
• Change the fruit: use ripe mango in place of pineapple for a similarly sweet salad.
• Add extra greens: serve with steamed green beans or spinach alongside the curry.
• Make it dairy-free: use an unsweetened plant-based yoghurt and a suitable dairy-free butter alternative.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the marinade: allow at least an hour for the yoghurt and spices to coat the lamb.
• Burning the paste: fry the onion mixture gently and stir it as it softens.
• Leaving the lid on too long: uncover the curry for its final 20 minutes so the sauce thickens.
• Adding un-drained rice: drain it thoroughly after soaking so the measured cooking water stays balanced.
• Lifting the rice lid early: keep the pan covered during cooking and the 10-minute rest.
• Adding wet pickle to the salad: pat the onions dry before tossing them with pineapple and coriander.

How to store

Cool the curry and rice promptly, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge and use within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot, adding a splash of water to the curry if needed; rice should be reheated only once. The pineapple salad is best freshly made, but any leftover pickled onion can be kept covered in the fridge and mixed with fresh fruit when serving.

Frequently asked questions