- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 15 whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 4 whole cloves (lavang)
- 1 cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 4 dried red chile peppers
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 pod black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 3 large onions, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 (1 1/2 inch) piece ginger root, peeled
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large tomatoes, pureed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (haldi)
- salt to taste
- 1 pound boneless lamb, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 pound potatoes, quartered
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, or to taste
- Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add peppercorns, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, dried chile peppers, cumin seeds, and black cardamom; toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder, add grated coconut, and grind into a paste.
- Combine onions, garlic, and ginger in a food processor; grind into a paste.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Add onion paste; cook and stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes; cook and stir until darkened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric and salt. Add lamb; cook and stir until evenly coated and starting to release some juices, about 10 minutes.
- Stir coconut paste, potatoes, water, tamarind paste, and sugar into the pressure cooker. Bring to a boil. Cover, bring to high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions, and cook, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and continue cooking, about 15 minutes more.
- Release pressure according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve curry garnished with cilantro leaves.