Regular readers will know that last year, in particular, I ate more Nepalese than average. That means I went to two Nepalese restaurants. But seriously, how many have you been to?!
Despite really enjoying the food on both occasions, this isn’t a cuisine I’ve ventured into in the kitchen. So when I spotted a recipe for lamb chhoeyla (Nepalese grilled lamb) in Mums Still Know Best
I took a few short cuts with this but it was absolutely fantastic. You could leave out either the sauce or the marinade. For example, if you were doing a BBQ and catering for a variety of tastes, omit the marinade and serve the sauce on the side. Cooking for people who like spicy food but you’re running short on time? Ditch the sauce. Or just make the sauce and serve it on the side of, well, um, anything really. We had a little left over and used it in a stir fry the next day.
Talk about versatile!
This is all easy-peasy but you do need to allow a little time for marinading and making the sauce. And, of course, this is spicy so not ideal for any chilli-averse guests!
Don’t want to print? Download a pdf of the recipe.
Ingredients
- 4-5 lamb chops
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chilli paste (I used a Szechuan chutney)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- pinch asafoetida
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2.5 cm piece of ginger
- pinch asafoetida
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil - use some mustard oil for an extra spice hit
Instructions
- To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add the lamb chops and ensure they are well coated. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside for at least a couple of hours.
- Place all ingredients in a blender and process until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper and adjust thickness (depending on how you want to use it!) with oil.
- Cook the lamb - either on the BBQ or using a griddle. Baste with any left over marinade.
- When the lamb is cooked to your liking, you can either chop it up (especially if boneless) and mix it through the sauce or you can serve it with the sauce on the side.