Gordon Ramsay’s lamb curry recipe uses minced lamb with potatoes and peas in a spiced tomato sauce that takes about 30 minutes from start to plate. It comes from his Quick and Delicious cookbook, and the whole point is that lamb mince cooks fast enough to be a weeknight dinner instead of a weekend project.
Ramsay does not slow cook this one, which surprised me because I always thought lamb curry needed hours, making this quick version stand out from my other curry recipes, but the mince breaks down so quickly that the spices have time to get into the meat even in half an hour. I have made this on a Tuesday after work and it honestly felt too easy for how good it tasted.
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Why Mince Works Better Than Chunks Here
A slow cooked lamb curry with shoulder or leg needs 2-3 hours for the meat to soften. A minced lamb curry skips all of that. It browns in minutes, absorbs the spices quickly, and gives you that rich lamb flavour without the wait.
Gordon picks mince for this recipe because speed is the point. If you want a slow cooked version with lamb shoulder, that is a different dish entirely, closer to a rogan josh. This is a midweek curry, not a Sunday project.
Lamb Curry Ingredients
- 500g (1.1 lbs) minced lamb
- 450g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
- 200g (7 oz) frozen peas
- 400g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml (2 cups) lamb stock
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped, plus extra sliced to garnish
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Handful dried methi leaves (optional)
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Lamb Curry
- Cook the Onions: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and starting to colour.
- Add the Aromatics: Stir in the garlic, ginger, and green chilli. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and ground coriander. Stir for another minute so the spices toast in the oil.
- Brown the Lamb: Turn the heat to high. Add the minced lamb and break it up with a wooden spoon. Fry for 3-4 minutes until browned all over.
- Build the Sauce: Pour in the chopped tomatoes and lamb stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the Potatoes and Peas: Add the diced potatoes and methi leaves if using. Cook uncovered over high heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Finish: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute to warm through. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Scatter fresh coriander (cilantro) and sliced green chilli on top. Serve with warm chapattis or steamed basmati rice.
What Are Common Mistakes When Cooking Lamb Curry?
Not browning the mince properly is the biggest one. If you crowd the pan or keep the heat too low, the lamb steams instead of frying. You want it on high heat, broken up, with colour on it before the liquid goes in.
The other thing is adding the potatoes too early. They go soft and mushy if they cook for the full 30 minutes. Gordon adds them after the sauce has already simmered for 15 minutes, so they hold their shape.
What to Put Beside It
Warm chapattis are what Ramsay serves this with, and they are the right call. The sauce is thick enough to scoop. Plain steamed rice works too, or naan bread if you want something more filling.
A spoonful of yoghurt on top cools the heat nicely. If you want a bigger spread, put the fish curry or Thai green curry rice alongside it.
Keeping and Freezing
This lamb curry keeps in the fridge for 3 days and actually tastes better the next day. The potatoes absorb the sauce overnight and every bite has more flavour.
Freezes well for up to 3 months. The peas go a bit soft after defrosting but the mince and potatoes hold up fine. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water.
FAQs
- Can I use lamb shoulder instead of mince? Yes, but dice it small and add an extra hour of simmering time. It becomes more like a rogan josh at that point, which is no bad thing.
- What is the tastiest lamb curry? This one is quick and punchy. For a deeper, slower version, a lamb rogan josh or a Moroccan lamb curry with apricots gives you more complexity, but they take 2-3 hours.
- Can I skip the potatoes? Yes. Without potatoes it becomes a keema, which is just spiced mince with peas. You can also stir in a handful of spinach at the end for a lamb and spinach curry variation. Serve it over rice and it is still a full meal.
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Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Total Fat: 24g
- Protein: 32g
- Total Carbohydrate: 42g
Gordon Ramsay Lamb Curry Recipe
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes40
minutesGordon Ramsay’s lamb curry recipe uses minced lamb with potatoes and peas in a spiced tomato sauce that takes about 30 minutes from start to plate. It comes from his Quick and Delicious cookbook, and the whole point is that lamb mince cooks fast enough to be a weeknight dinner instead of a weekend project.
Ramsay does not slow cook this one, which surprised me. I always thought lamb curry needed hours, but the mince breaks down so quickly that the spices have time to get into the meat even in half an hour. I have made this on a Tuesday after work and it honestly felt too easy for how good it tasted.
Ingredients
500g (1.1 lbs) minced lamb
450g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
200g (7 oz) frozen peas
400g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
500ml (2 cups) lamb stock
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped, plus extra sliced to garnish
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Handful dried methi leaves (optional)
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Cook the Onions: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and starting to colour.
- Add the Aromatics: Stir in the garlic, ginger, and green chilli. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and ground coriander. Stir for another minute so the spices toast in the oil.
- Brown the Lamb: Turn the heat to high. Add the minced lamb and break it up with a wooden spoon. Fry for 3-4 minutes until browned all over.
- Build the Sauce: Pour in the chopped tomatoes and lamb stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the Potatoes and Peas: Add the diced potatoes and methi leaves if using. Cook uncovered over high heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Finish: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute to warm through. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Scatter fresh coriander (cilantro) and sliced green chilli on top. Serve with warm chapattis or steamed basmati rice.
