LAMB NECK AND AUBERGINE ROGAN JOSH WITH NAAN

- METHOD -

FOR THE CURRY

Preheat oven to 220˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper (it makes washing up so much easier). Place the whole yellow pepper on the tray and roast in the oven until it blisters – about 15 minutes. Place pepper in a plastic bag and tie to close. Allow it to sweat for 10 minutes. Now it will be easy to pull off the skin. Once you’ve done so, pull out the seeds and roughly dice the yellow pepper flesh. Place yellow pepper in a food processor along with garlic, Cape Herb & Spice Rogan Josh seasoning, tomato paste and water. Blitz to form a paste. Set aside.

Mix the flour and the salt. Dip the lamb neck in the flour and shake off excess. Fry in a hot pan in a bit of oil to seal and slightly brown on both sides. (You’ll need to do this in two batches.) Place lamb in a roasting dish. Halve baby aubergines lengthwise and dip cut side in flour. Fry until the cut side just starts to brown and add to the meat. Wipe the pan clean. Add a tablespoon of oil and fry the onion for a few minutes until it starts to soften and has taken on some colour. Now add the Rogan Josh curry paste you made and fry for two minutes. Deglaze the pan with the mutton stock and pour the lot over the mutton and aubergines. Cover the roasting tray with tinfoil and bake at 160˚C  for two hours. Serve with natural yoghurt, loads of torn coriander and the naan bread.

FOR THE NAAN BREAD

Place the yeast and sugar in a bowl and pour over the lukewarm water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate – you’ll see it starting to form bubbles.

Place the flour and salt in another large bowl and stir briefly. Make a well in the middle and pour in the two tablespoons melted butter, yoghurt and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Tumble onto a well-floured surface and knead for ten minutes. This is a very soft dough and quite sticky. If it is simply too sticky to work with, add another tablespoon or two of flour, but take care not to make it too dry. Place dough ball in a deep dish painted with oil and cover with cling film. Allow dough to prove for an hour until doubled in size.  

Knock the dough back and divide into 6 equal balls. Dust a surface with flour and use a rolling pin to flatten dough balls to about 5mm thick. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat, add a small drizzle of oil and fry naan one at a time. Once you see bubbles forming on the surface, the naan is ready to be flipped over. (NB: if your pan is too hot, the naan will burn on the outside before it is cooked inside.) Paint cooked naan with melted butter and serve right away.

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za