Lamb Pepper masala (in the Instant Pot)

This South Indian delicacy is a hot and spicy sensational dish which is bursting with flavour.  The fried pepper masala and the pounded pepper coating the lamb pieces tingles your taste buds and makes your mouth water. It is best enjoyed with steamed rice and tomato rasam or saaru on a cold rainy day!  Sautéed with the green masala in the final steps it gets infused with fresh flavours that elevate it to the next level. So delicious!

So convenient to cook the lamb in the Instant Pot
I used the Instant Pot to tenderize the meat. Then, after reducing the meat juices I sautéed the tenderized meat with the fried onions and the ground green masala in the tava. I could have just added oil to the meat in the instant pot after reducing the meat juices and then sautéed it till the masala coated the meat and dished it out. But I chose to use the tava instead just to infuse some extra flavour to it.

Recipe Variations
There are so many variations of this lamb pepper masala dish. In this version the masala just coats the lamb is not of a thick curry consistency. There is another version of it called the “phaal” which is quite similar to this but not as dry and is equally good. The ingredients are more or less the same but the texture is slightly different – the meat is covered in the pepper masala and is not dry but more juicy and of a thick curry like consistency. Do check my “Easy Instant Pot Veal Pepper Phaal” to find the difference.

For those who don’t like it too spicy could reduce the amount of green chillies and the black pepper. But it won’t taste the same. In order to enjoy its authentic flavours and hit the bliss point in its taste, the right mix of proportions as given in the recipe below should be followed.

I usually serve this dish with steamed rice and tomato rasam, but this time I served it with rajma rice for a change and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 lb lamb
2 tbs canola oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1 small sized onion chopped.

For the green masala
3-4 green chillies
2 sprigs of cilantro (1/4 cup chopped with stems)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 tbs black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
6 green cardamoms

Instructions:
1. Clean the lamb, rinse and drain. Sprinkle salt, add ginger garlic paste and turmeric to the lamb pieces, mix well and put them in the Instant pot after plugging it in.
2. Add a cup of water, close the lid, turn the steam release valve to sealing position, then press the meat/stew button and set the time for 20 minutes.
3. While the meat is cooking in the Instant Pot, prepare the green masala. Grind together all the green masala ingredients and set aside.
4. After 20 minutes when the Instant Pot beeps, do a QPR (quick pressure release manually), open the lid when all the steam is out. Check to see if the meat is tender enough, if not then pressure cook for another 5 minutes or less depending on how tough it is. For a tough cut of beef this would be required but not for lamb or veal as they tenderize really fast.
5. Press the sauté button and on ‘sauté less’ setting, reduce the meat juices till just one or two tablespoons are left. Switch off the Instant Pot.
6. Take a sauce pan and when hot add 2 tbs of oil, followed by chopped onions. Fry them till golden brown, then throw in the ground green masala, fry till it thickens a bit.
7. Now add the cooked lamb to the green masala in the sauce pan. Sauté the lamb in the pan on gentle heat till the lamb absorbs the green masala and is well coated with it. If the masala sticks to the bottom add a little water and mix well to coat the lamb. Sprinkle some black pepper, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
8. The lamb pepper masala is usually enjoyed with rice and rasam. This time I made rajma rice with it and it was delicious.

Notes: 

I like to balance the flavours so I have used just the right amount of the herbs and the spices to get the bliss point in taste.

Recipe

Lamb Pepper Masala

Author: Fouzia Husainy

This is a South Indian delicacy which is juicy and full of flavlour, enjoyed with steamed rice and tomato rasam or saaru. The lamb is first cooked with ginger garlic paste, salt and turmeric and is then sautéd and browned with the freshly ground green masala spices which elevate it to the next level. So delicious!

Course Dinner, Non Vegetarian, Quick and Easy

Cuisine Indian, South indian Cuisine

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb lamb
• 2 tbs canola oil
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 medium sized onion chopped.

For the green masala

• 3 green chillies
• 2 sprigs of cilantro 1/4 cup chopped with stems
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tbs black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 6 green cardamoms

Instructions

 

Instructions:

• Clean the lamb, rinse and drain. Sprinkle salt, add ginger garlic paste and turmeric to the lamb pieces, mix well and put them in the Instant pot after plugging it in.
• Add a cup of water, close the lid, turn the steam release valve to sealing position, then press the meat/stew button and set the time for 20 minutes.
• While the meat is cooking in the Instant Pot, prepare the green masala. Grind together all the green masala ingredients and set aside.
• After 20 minutes when the Instant Pot beeps, do a QPR (quick pressure release manually), open the lid when all the steam is out. Check to see if the meat is tender enough, if not then pressure cook for another 5 minutes or less depending on how tough it is. For a tough cut of beef this would be required but not for lamb or veal as they tenderize really fast.
• Press the sauté button and on 'sauté less' setting, reduce the meat juices till just one or two tablespoons are left. Switch off the Instant Pot.
• Take a sauce pan and when hot add 2 tbs of oil, followed by chopped onions. Fry them till golden brown, then throw in the ground green masala, fry till it thickens a bit.
• Now add the cooked lamb to the green masala in the sauce pan. Sauté the lamb in the pan on gentle heat till the lamb absorbs the green masala and is well coated with it. If the masala sticks to the bottom add a little water and mix well to coat the lamb. Sprinkle some black pepper, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
• The lamb pepper masala is usually enjoyed with rice and rasam. This time I made rajma rice with it and it was delicious.

Video

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