The evocative nature of rich, warming Indian spices makes me feel like party time, and suits our winter climate perfectly. Pair with the wonderfully deep flavours of British mutton and you are on to a real winner. We used to eat mutton all the time in this country – it was much preferred to lamb (when properly hung, it’s also equally tender). We often cook a curry at home for friends or family on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day– not only does it feel special, but you can make lots in advance and freeze to cut down on the work. The leftovers are a treasure trove in the fridge.
Slow-cooked mutton with cardamom
Mutton isn’t the easiest meat to find, so order it well in advance from your local butcher. You could, of course, use lamb shoulder instead, but by choosing mutton you will be helping to revive a delicious British tradition. Serves eight to 10.
5 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, finely chopped
Salt
4 cloves
Seeds from 12 cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 thumb fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp turmeric
½-1 tsp dried chilli flakes (to taste)
½ grated nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
1.5kg mutton (or lamb) shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 4cm chunks
400g tin plum tomatoes
250ml Greek yoghurt
Warm four tablespoons of oil in a large, deep pan over a medium-low heat, then fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Meanwhile, grind the cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a pestle and mortar – you’re after a rough powder, not finely ground. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot, fry for three minutes, then stir in the ground spices, turmeric, chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon. Turn the heat down to low and cook for eight minutes, until it begins to smell fragrant.
Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Season the meat, then brown it on all sides (do this in batches, if need be). Transfer the browned meat to the spice base, then stir so the meat is well coated in all the spices, garlic and onion.
Roughly chop the tomatoes with scissors. Add to the meat with the yoghurt and enough water to cover, and add salt to taste. Bring the curry to a gentle simmer and cook for around two hours (timings for shoulder often vary), giving it a regular stir and keeping an eye on the water level: add more if it looks dry. The meat is done when you have a thick sauce and it is falling apart.
Shredded red cabbage and kale coconut curry
The lovely flavours you get from this curry belie how very simple it is to make. Serve with a selection of other curries or on its own with a bowl of quinoa or rice. The earthy flavours of the spices, ginger and turmeric take you straight to the subcontinent. Fresh turmeric is readily available from larger supermarkets these days, but if you can’t find it, just substitute with dried. Serves four to six, depending on what else you are eating.
¼ red cabbage (about 350g), cored and finely shredded
350g kale, de-stalked and shredded
2 small dried red chillies (or 2 tsp dried chilli flakes)
3 tbsp coconut (or vegetable) oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp curry leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2.5cm piece fresh turmeric, finely grated (or ½ tsp dried)
1 small red onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
250ml coconut milk
Wash the cabbage and kale and tear the whole chillies (if using) into rough pieces. Put the mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves and chillies in one small bowl and the garlic, ginger and turmeric in another. Put the coconut oil into a wok over a high heat, and once it’s melted and hot, add the dry spices. Stir for a few minutes, then tip in the garlic, ginger and turmeric, cook for a few minutes more, stirring all the time, then season generously.
Add the cabbage, kale and onion, and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water after five minutes to create some steam. After 10 minutes, add the coconut milk, stir and check for seasoning. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for another five minutes, by which time the cabbage should be tender and delicious.
And for the rest of the week…
Braise the rest of the red cabbage with diced bramley apples, cinnamon, sugar, cider vinegar and lots of butter: it’s a brilliant, wintry dish that goes very well with ham or sausages; it keeps for ages and freezes well, too. Simmer leftover coconut milk with condensed milk to make a delicious coconut flan, or just stir it though leftovers to give some extra flavour. And make warming drinks with hot water, sliced fresh turmeric, ginger, lemon and honey, to ward off colds and sniffles: fresh turmeric is renowned for its health properties, as well as for staining food a wonderful deep yellow. It’s also great fried with onions and spices in all kinds of rice dishes, so experiment.
• Thomasina Miers is co-owner of the Wahaca group of Mexican restaurants. Her latest book, Chilli Notes, is published by Hodder & Stoughton at £25. To order a copy for £20, go to bookshop.theguardian.com.
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