Sri Lankan Recipe From Eating London A2Z

Devilled Lamb Cutlets

On a day when the England cricket team were suffering under a Sri Lankan sun, we headed to a unremarkable no-mans land between Tooting Broadway and Colliers Wood for an authentic taste of Si Lankan food. Apollo Banana Leaf  is not much to look at, but her food is sensational. Here is an easy recipe for spicy devilled lamb inspired by our visit.

serves 2

• 1 small hunk of fresh ginger
• a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tsps curry powder
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch of ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 200g of lamb loin cut into strips and trimmed of excess fat

For The Salad

• 1 small cucumber, peeled, deseeded and well diced.
• 3 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 small red onions finely sliced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of olive oil
• Small bunch of fresh mint leaves
• Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves

1. To make the marinade, chop the ginger and garlic and mash it into a paste in a pestle and mortar. Stir in the curry powder, salt, lime juice, spices, seasoning and yogurt and mix through.

2. Now pop the marinade and lamb into a ziplock bag and make sure all the meat is coated.. Chill overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours if time is tight.

2. Just before you cook the lamb, preheat a heavy frying pan over a high heat. While the pan is heating put the side salad together. Put the cucumber, tomatoes and onions in a bowl. Combine the lime juice, salt, pepper and oil to make a dressing and toss with the salad and herbs.

3. Sear the chops for 3-4 minutes. Rest for at 5 minutes and serve with the side salad and perhaps some rice.