1 onion (diced)
1 cup of stock
½ cup of rice water
1 cup of potatoes, which have been previously boiled and diced
2 cups of lamb, cold roast preferred, and cut into the size of dominoes
2 tablespoons of Curry Powder (Cross and Blackwells, or other
imported—_never domestic_)
Zest of one lemon
Salt to taste
Give me the above ingredients, and I will make you the meat dish
which, above all others, is, to my way of thinking, the most savory
and delicious. Eight years ago, when I was first playing “Omar, the
Tentmaker,” I became acquainted with various members of the Persian
Embassy, who were especially interested in the play because of its
Persian locale, and it was while dining in the home of one of these
gentlemen that I first became initiated to lamb curry—that is, lamb
curry as it really should be cooked! Begging the recipe from my host,
it has ever since been the favorite pièce-de-résistance in my home.
First of all you brown the onion in olive oil in a deep pan; then add
the stock, rice-water, salt and curry powder; the latter having been
mixed with a little of the rice-water to insure a smooth sauce. Simmer
slowly till the oil and curry float in dark blobs, add the lamb, and
continue simmering and stirring until just before serving, when the
lemon juice should be dripped in.
Lamb curry should always be served with hot rice, taking on your fork
equal portions of both, increasing the amount of rice in case you find
the curry too hot. Never drink water with curry, as it intensifies the
burning sensation. The amount of curry powder used in the above recipe
can be increased or decreased according to the individual taste. Cold
cooked shrimps, lobster, veal or chicken may be used in place of lamb;
but never beef. Personally I find that lamb produces the finest curry
dish.