Goan Lamb Xacutti

• 1 (4 -6 lb) leg of lamb
• 1 fresh coconut
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tablespoons chopped gingerroot
• 5 hot green chili peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon seedless tamarind paste
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Masala
• 30 dried hot red chili peppers, preferably Kashmiri
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 8 cloves
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 1 piece cassia or 1 cinnamon bark, 2-inch broken up
• 1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds or 1 tablespoon peanuts
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ajwain or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon anise seed
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1. Cut lamb into 1 1/2 inch cubes and place in non-aluminum bowl. In blender, puree lemon juice, garlic, ginger and hot green peppers. Mix with lamb; marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours. Crack open coconut,discarding the liquid. Pry out coconut meat. Pare off brown out side layer; discard. Grate coconut. In dry skillet, toast coconut over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
2. Masala:
3. In dry skillet, toast each spice separately over medium heat until fragrant and darkened in color. Transfer to spice grinder or blender along with toasted coconut; process until fine powder. Set aside.
4. In large shallow Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; fry onions, stirring often, until goldenbrown, about 7 minutes. Stir in lamb and increase heat to high; fry. stirring, until liquid is mostly evaporated and oil begins to separate, about 12 minutes. Add masala; reduce heat to medium and fry, stirring until fragrant and oil is separated, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tamarind, salt and 2 cups water.
5. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium- low and cook, partially covered and stirring often, until meat is tender and sauce is thick and clings to meat, about 1 1/2 hours.

lamb, fresh coconut, lemon juice, garlic, gingerroot, green chili peppers, vegetable oil, onions, tomato, tamarind paste, salt, masala, red chili peppers, green cardamom, cloves, black cardamom pods, cassia, nutmeg, coriander seeds, peanuts, fennel seed, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, turmeric powder, thyme, anise seed, black peppercorns, mace, fenugreek seeds

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/goan-lamb-xacutti-185768 (may not work)