Vadouvan, or French Masala, originated in the southern Indian town of Pondicherry, which was ruled for many years by the French and to this day retains a strong influence from that time. The Masala is a French adaptation of an Indian seasoning, featuring shallots, garlic and curry leaf among many others. As it is a ‘fried’ Masala (meaning the ingredients have already been cooked/caramelised) it is best used as a base in dishes which do not involve further long cooking. However it is also wonderful used as a ‘tempering’ spice, added at a late stage of cooking to enhance the flavours already involved. This is particularly effective when Vadouvan is added to dahls or vegetarian cooking. This recipe conveniently includes both ways of using the masala, and of course it can also be used to give an exotic finishing touch to any spicy stew or soup.

01.

Ingredients

1 lamb leg steak (or 3 / 4 chops) per person
4tsp Vadouvan Masala
1tsp good quality salt (Himalayan pink is ideal)
6tbs natural yoghurt
handful of curry leaves, dried available at Spice Mountain
4tsp coconut oil
200g toor dahl (yellow lentils)
3 tsp Chana/ Chickpea Masala from Spice Mountain or if you’d prefer to blend your own here are the measurements
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground fenugreek
1tsp tomato powder
pinch ground asafoetida
1tbs Vadouvan Masala
plenty of fresh coriander to finish the dish

02.

Method

  • Mix all the ingredients for the lamb and marinate the meat for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better if you have time).
  • To make the dahl, rinse the toor dahl well in water, then cook in fresh water to which you have added the ground spices. Keep an eye on the lentils as they cook, as they soak up water quickly.
  • It is best to start with not too much water, and add as needed. The lentils are ready when they start to break up and the dahl has a ‘porridgey’ consistency, which will take something like an hour (it is difficult to be precise here).
  • When they have reached this point, stir in the Vadouvan Masala and cook gently for a further 10-15min, to let the flavour of the Vadouvan permeate the dahl.
  • The dahl can now wait while you cook the lamb. Heat your grill to very high (or use a stove top grill pan), and grill the lamb, turning frequently, until done.
  • Be careful here as because of the marinade, and the fattiness of the lamb, the pan/grill will smoke and it is easy to burn, which we don’t want!
  • The lamb will take about 15 minutes to be ready, when it will still be slightly pink in the middle – if you prefer your lamb well done, just cook for a little longer.
  • On a warmed plate, place a mound of the dahl and sprinkle with plenty of chopped fresh coriander, laying the lamb over the top so the juices can run into the dahl. Serve with a basic vegetable curry (aloo gobi, aloo peas or a mushroom bhaji all work really well here), and some warm chappatis, paratha or naan bread, with some garlic yoghurt sauce on the side.