MARY-SHANTHI'S PEPPER LAMB CHOPS

I love this recipe. During my student days, I lived as a paying guest in a Hazel Woolger's home on Rest House Road, Bangalore. Miss Woolger, as she was known to us girls who lodged with her, was an Anglo Indian and had retired from the Indian army as a Colonel, after a distinguished career in the Military Nursing Service. Of mixed Indian and British descent, the Anglo-Indians were a people caught between two cultures, neither fully Indian nor fully British, but leaning towards British ways. They spoke English as a first language, had special clothing styles, but ate mainly Indian food which they innovated in their own unique way. Hazel had a cook and we ate in style at a table set with cutlery.  The cook made pepper chops for lunch with pepper water (aka rasam by the Indians), and rice. But what I think of most when I look back on those halcyon days is that Miss Woolger called her cook Mary. But actually, her name was Shanthi! Now why did Miss Woolger do such a thing? Someone who had served wth distinction in the Indian army. That shows a lot of nationalistic fervour, doesn't it? But she stripped another Indian of their very identity and gave them another name. On the other hand, she was very generous to Mary-Shanthi and assisted her and her family, with groceries and school uniforms for the children. Anyways, to Shanthi, I remember you and the meals you cooked for us with great fondness.

MARY-SHANTHA’S PEPPER LAMB

Ingredients

Lamb - 1 1/2 kg, cut into 1" cubes (or smaller if you wish) chunks (I used lamb shoulder.  It's great with lamb chops too)

Garlic - 1 1/2 heads. (1/2 a head to 1/2 kg lamb) – If the pods are particularly large, use just one head.

Peppercorns - 3 tsp 

Cloves - 12 

Cinnamon Sticks - 6 large 

Oil - 3 tbsp for the meat

Red onions - 4 cups, chopped 

Water - 1 1/2 cups of water

Potatoes - 8-9 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm thick round slices (cut along the narrow length of the potato)

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped for garnishing

Salt and pepper to taste

Grind the peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a spice grinder.  When this is ground to a fine powder, add the peeled garlic cloves, ½ tsp of salt and enough water to grind to a paste. Marinate the lamb in this paste for an hour.

Warm the oil.  Add the chopped onions.  Fry these, stirring frequently, to avoid onions getting burnt.  (On my ceramic top stove, I fried the onions for 10 minutes on high).

Add the marinated meat.  Continue to keep the heat on high.  Stir frequently.  Aim to get a good sear on all sides of the meat – a nice brown colour but not burnt.  For best results, use a large pan with enough surface area to arrange all your meat in one layer.  Continue to keep the heat on high.  After 10 minutes, add ½ tsp of salt.  Continue to fry the meat on high for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Then add 1.5 cups of water.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Taste for salt. Add more if needed.  Cover pan, and bring heat down to simmer.  Check frequently, and stir to prevent meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Lamb should be cooked in an hour.  This depends on what consistency you like your meat (so an hour, maybe less, maybe more).  You might need to uncover the pan and cook on high towards the end so that the gravy thickens.

Preheat oven to 525F.  Start working on the potatoes.  Grease two baking pans liberally.  Use 3 tsp oil in each pan. Arrange potatoes in both the pans, in a single layer (greasing both sides of the potato slices).  Lightly salt and pepper each slice on the topside only.  Put into preheated oven and set timer for 10 minutes.  Take out the pans and turn all the potato slices over.  Salt and pepper each slice again.  Return to oven for another 10 minutes.  By now you will have potatoes that are slightly browned.  Keep aside. 

When ready to serve, heat the meat through and transfer to serving dish.  Arrange potatoes on top.  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.