Name: Slow Cooker Railway Lamb Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 h 10 min
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1kg (2lb 3oz) mutton or lamb shoulder on the bone, cut into bite-size pieces; 5 tbsp (1⁄4 cup) mustard oil; 5 cardamom pods, bruised; 3 Kashmiri dried red chillies; 4 cloves; 2.5cm (1in) piece of cinnamon stick; 20 fresh or frozen curry leaves; 2 medium red onions, finely chopped; 3 green chillies, finely chopped; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp cumin; 200g (7 oz) chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered; 1 generous tsp tamarind concentrate; 200ml (generous 3⁄4 cup) thick coconut milk; 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi); Salt, to taste; Chopped coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional); 2 limes, quartered

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Looking for a delicious lamb curry? Give this slow cooker railway lamb curry a try soon!

Railway lamb curry gets its name because it was served in the first class carriages or trains during the British Raj. It’s a slow cooked curry so it works perfectly well when you cook it in your slow cooker. If you’re looking for a delicious curry with melt in the mouth pieces of lamb, slow cooker railway lamb curry needs to be on your ‘must make’ list!

About this railway lamb curry recipe…

The story goes that a original railway lamb curry was first served when a British officer ordered a curry, found it to be too spicy and asked for the curry to be milder.

The chef wanting to please his customers added a little yoghurt to the sauce to cool it down and the officer loved it. Railway lamb curry was born. This story is probably just a bit of nonsense but it sounded good and the name stuck.

When you make this slow cooker version at home, you will get the same amazing flavour. In fact it might even be better than when you cook it in a pot. You can just add the ingredients and let your slow cooker do its job of making a delicious lamb curry.

How spicy is railway lamb curry?

The idea behind railway lamb curry is that it is supposed to be mild. That said, there is absolutely no reason why it needs to be.

You can spice this recipe up or down depending on your personal preference. If you like a spicy lamb curry, add more chillies and/or chilli powder.

What do you serve railway lamb curry with?

If you’d like to make this curry into a feast, you could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice.

The curry would also be amazing if you serve it with Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you’re cooking outdoors, karahi naans.

You might also like to serve up an easy curry house style tarka dal or slowly cook dal makhani.

You could also serve your railway lamb curry with a few starters. How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you’re feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

Is railway lamb curry similar to British Indian restaurant style curries?

Not really. There is no base sauce in this recipes like curry house style curries. Although it was originally prepared for the British and to there spice preferences, it is a lot more like the authentic lamb curries you find in India today.

Step by step photographs

The ingredients for the curry laid out on a countertop.

Get all your ingredients prepared and ready before starting. It’s easier that way.

Infusing the whole spices and curry leaves in the oil.

Heat the oil in your slow cooker or in a pan over a medium-high heat. When visibly hot, stir in the whole spices and the curry leaves and let them sizzle in the oil for about 30 seconds.

Stirring in the chopped onion to fry and soften.

Stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Stirring the garlic and ginger paste and the chopped chillies into the pot.

Then stir in the chopped chillies and garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds.

Adding the ground spices and chopped tomato to the pot.

Now add the ground spices and stir them into the onions for about a minute followed by the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.

Stirring in the meat, potatoes, tamarind concentrate and coconut milk.

Add the meat, potatoes, coconut milk and tamarind concentrate and stir it all well to combine.

Bringing everything to a simmer in the pot.

Bring to a low simmer. Cook it all in your slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

[caption id="attachment_42275" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Once cooked, add the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) by rubbing it between your fingers over the curry. Stir it in and add salt to taste.

The railway lamb curry served on a plate at the table garnished with coriander.

Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve. I usually serve this with rice and a few lime wedges that can be squeezed over the curry to taste at the table.

Slow cooker railway lamb curry on a serving plate with rice.

Enjoy!

If you like this slow cooker railway lamb curry, you might like to try some of these too.

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Yield: 4

Slow Cooker Railway Lamb Curry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

1kg (2lb 3oz) mutton or lamb shoulder on the bone, cut into bite-size pieces
5 tbsp (1⁄4 cup) mustard oil
5 cardamom pods, bruised
3 Kashmiri dried red chillies
4 cloves
2.5cm (1in) piece of cinnamon stick
20 fresh or frozen curry leaves
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
200g (7 oz) chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 generous tsp tamarind concentrate
200ml (generous 3⁄4 cup) thick coconut milk
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
Salt, to taste
Chopped coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional)
2 limes, quartered

Instructions

Heat the oil in your slow cooker using the sauté mode or in a pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil begins to bubble, stir in the cardamom pods, dried chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick and the curry leaves and let them sizzle in the oil for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Then stir in the chopped chillies and garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Now add the ground spices and stir them into the onions for about a minute followed by the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the meat, potatoes, coconut milk and tamarind concentrate and stir it all well to combine.
Bring to a low simmer. Cook it all in your slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. You want the meat and potatoes to be good and tender before serving so check it and cook a little longer if necessary.
Once cooked, add the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) by rubbing it between your fingers over the curry.
Stir it in and add salt to taste. Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve. I usually serve this with rice and a few lime wedges that can be squeezed over the curry to taste at the table. As there are potatoes in the curry, you could just serve it on its own without rice.