From Suniya Quoreshi, London
Suniya is a busy working mum and this dish is excellent as a quick and easy starter (though do bear in mind that the meat must be marinated overnight). Mutton is readily available in most Asian butchers, but you may use lamb if you wish. Serve with a mint chutney. Mango powder, or amchoor, is a souring agent and is sold by Asian grocers. If you cannot get it, use an extra 2 teaspoons of lemon juice instead.
1kg (2lb 4oz) mutton chops, about 1 centimetre (½ inch) thick
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2½ teaspoons chilli flakes
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon amchoor (green mango powder, or see recipe introduction)
4 teaspoons finely grated garlic
1½ teaspoons peeled, finely grated root ginger
¾–1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve (optional)
Put the chops in a non-reactive bowl. Add all the other ingredients except the lemon wedges and rub well into the meat. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, when you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Place the chops and their marinade in a casserole dish or baking tray. Cover with a lid or foil, place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the chops over. Add 120ml (scant 4fl oz) of water to the dish or tray to loosen the spices and create a thin sauce. Stir well, cover again and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve the chops coated with their sticky sauce, with lemon wedges if you like.
• This recipe is taken from Madhur Jaffery's Curry Nation (Ebury Press, £20). Order a copy for £16 from the Guardian bookshop
