- 350 g/12 oz okra
- 300 g/11 oz potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 1-2 dried or fresh chillies
- 400 g/14 oz leg of lamb
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon turmeric
- Salt and black pepper
- 400 g/14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
- 750 ml/1 1/4 pints boiling water
- 100 g/3 1/2 oz tamarind paste dissolved in 200 ml/7 fl oz boiling water, then strained
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée/tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
- Cut off the top stems of the okra, taking care not to bruise them, and wash thoroughly. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into 4-5 cm/1 1/2-2 inch cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Deseed and chop the chillies. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and chilli together until mixed to a paste.
- Wash the lamb and dry it on kitchen paper. Trim off any skin and fat, and cut the meat into 4-5 cm/1 1/2-2 inch cubes.
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion until golden. Add the garlic and chilli paste and stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add the lamb, turmeric, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix well and fry lightly to seal the meat on all sides.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, boiling water and half of the tamarind liquid. Mix thoroughly. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until the meat is cooked: it should be tender enough to cut with a fork.
- Stir in the tomato purée/tomato paste and the potatoes.
- Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Add more water if necessary. The liquid should now be reduced to about 500 ml/just under 1 pint.
- Add the okra to the pan and pour in the rest of the tamarind liquid. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes on a low heat until the okra is soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and add lemon juice if you prefer a tarter flavour.
- Serve in a shallow bowl with the meat at the bottom and the okra and potatoes arranged on top. Serve with plain rice (chelo).