Lamb shoulder is well-suited to slow cooking: its collagen turns into gelatine over hours, giving a rich, spoonable sauce. This version builds the masala in a pan first, so the slow cooker only has to do the tenderising.
Why this recipe works
- Browning the lamb and cooking the masala in a pan adds flavour a slow cooker cannot produce by itself.
- Only 150 ml of added water keeps the sauce concentrated, because the cooker traps all the steam.
- Coconut milk added in the last 15 minutes stays creamy and doesn’t split or turn flat.
Method
Pat the lamb dry and toss with the salt. Heat half the ghee in a large pan over high heat and brown the lamb in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer to the slow cooker with the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan, or the meat steams and turns grey instead of browning.
In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and the cumin seeds over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and golden.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, then the coriander, ground cumin, chilli and turmeric for 30 seconds. Add the passata and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and the oil begins to separate.
Pour in the hot water and scrape up the browned bits from the base of the pan. Tip the masala over the lamb and stir to coat.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or on high for 4 hours, without lifting the lid, until a piece of lamb breaks apart easily with a fork.
Tip: Every time the lid is lifted, the cooker loses around 15 to 20 minutes of heat.
Skim any fat from the surface with a spoon. Stir in the coconut milk and garam masala, cover, and cook on high for 15 minutes, until the curry is steaming and creamy. Don't let it boil hard.
Fish out the cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves if you can find them, taste for salt, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice or flatbread.
Swaps & substitutions
- Lamb shoulder → Goat or bone-in lamb leg pieces: Bone-in pieces add flavour and body. Use 800 g bone-in and add 1 hour on low.
- Coconut milk → 100 g whisked plain yogurt: Whisk it with 3 tbsp of the hot sauce first, then stir it in off the heat at the end to keep it from splitting. The curry will be tangier and lighter, and less South Indian.
- Slow cooker → Oven or heavy pot: Cook covered at 150°C for about 2 hours 30 minutes, checking the liquid halfway. Add 100 ml extra water.
Storage & reheating
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keeps 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge and 3 months frozen, though the coconut milk can look slightly grainy once thawed. Reheat in a pan or microwave until steaming hot all the way through; don't reheat in the slow cooker, which warms too slowly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put frozen lamb in the slow cooker?
No. Frozen meat keeps the cooker in the bacteria-friendly zone, between 4 and 60°C, for too long. Thaw it fully in the fridge first.
How long does lamb curry take in a slow cooker?
Cube-cut shoulder takes about 7 hours on low or 4 hours on high. It is done when a piece breaks apart easily when pressed with a fork. Longer is better than shorter for this cut.
Do I have to brown the meat first?
You do not have to, but you should. Browning creates flavour through the Maillard reaction that a slow cooker cannot, and cooking the onions and spices in the pan removes their raw taste.
Why add coconut milk at the end?
Long, slow cooking dulls its flavour and can make it separate into oily streaks. Adding it for the last 15 minutes keeps it creamy and gives a fresh coconut flavour.
Is this a traditional Indian lamb curry?
No. It is a home-style adaptation: a North Indian onion-tomato masala with a coconut milk finish more common in southern kitchens, cooked in a slow cooker. It is not a classic regional recipe, so it is named for the method instead.
Nutrition
| Calories | 521 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Sodium | 710 mg |
More in Mughlai & Awadhi Recipes and Indian Curry Recipes. Learn the technique: How to Make a Curry Base (Bhuna Masala), Indian Spices: A Practical Guide.
