Raan (Leg of Lam with Raisin-Mint Sauce)

Apparently raan normally uses mature mutton or goat. Iyer has adapted it to more tender western lamb. He also added a sauce to the dish. The sauce is lovely, but I don't think it really needs it.

Raan

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Roast

• 1 boneless leg of lamb roast (~1.6kg)
• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp. bin bhunahua garam masala
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 4 large cloves garlic
• 4 fresh green Thai chiles, stems removed
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• canola oil

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. raw cashews
• 1/4 c. golden raisins
• 1/2 c. tinned tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1/4 c. firmly packed fresh mint, chopped

Directions

Roast

1. Tie lamb into a compact shape with twine and make 4-6 slashes ~1/4" (~0.5cm). Place in a shallow pan and set aside.
2. Put yogurt in blender and add the almonds, garam masala, salt, onion, ginger, garlic, and chiles and purée to make a slightly gritty paste.
3. Pour the yogurt mixture over the lamb and sprinkle with cilantro.
4. Massage the marinade into the meat, working it into all of the slashes.
5. Cover and chill overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
7. Oil a rack and place it in a roasting pan.
8. Place the lamb on the rack along with any clinging marinade. Reserve the remaining marinade.
9. Roast lamb until seared and lightly browned (~10-15 minutes).
10. Reduce heat to 325°F (160°C) and roast for another 15 minutes.
11. Spoon the reserved marinade over the lamb, add a little water to the pan, and continue roasting, checking occasionally to make sure the drippings aren't burning. Continue roasting until meat registers 135°F (60°C) at centre of thickest part (~1 1/2 hours).
12. Prepare sauce while meat is roasting.
13. Remove roast from oven and let meat rest for ~10 minutes.
14. Cut off twine, slice, and serve with sauce on the side.

Sauce

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin and sizzle for 5-10 seconds.
3. Add the onion, cashews, and raisins and stir-fry until cashews are lightly browned (~5 minutes).
4. Add tomato sauce and water and deglaze the pan.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally until some of the oil has separated and come to the surface (~10 minutes).
6. Transfer sauce to blender and add the cream. Purée to make a creamy, slightly grainy sauce.
7. Just before serving, reheat the sauce, covered, over low heat and stir in the mint leaves.