Delicious Australia – (12)December 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY

NIGEL LOUGH

STYLING

EMMA KNOWLES

SpiceupyourChristmasspreadwiththisboldly

flavouredandrefreshingtakeonatraditionalroast

lamb fromMasterChef winnerSashi Cheliah.

RULE THE ROAST

@sashi_cheliah

I CAN’T IMAGINEa celebration without spices, and Christmas is my favourite end-of-
yearcelebration.Iwantyoutoenjoythisfestiveseasonasmuchasme,soI’vecreated
an amazing Indian-inspired roast lamb with roastvegetablesandabeautifulyoghurtand
mint dressing. I love strong flavours, so I’ve given this Christmas classic an Indian twist.
It’srobustinflavourandthespicesreallyelevatethedish.
Thisrecipeisgreatforafamilyortoserveatadinnerpartyof4-6people.Theonly
catch is that you’ll need to prepare the lamb the night before and make sure you have
all the spices at home.
Thelambismarinatedinamedleyofspiceswithayoghurtbase.Thistenderisesthe
meatsoitretainsmoremoisturewhilecooking.Whenyoutakethegorgeous piece of
lambfromthefridge,besuretoscoreitsoitabsorbsthemarinade.
Cookingthelambslowlymakesittenderandallowstimefortheboldspicestoimpart
theirflavoursintothemeat.Roastingmakestheflavoursmoreintenseandguarantees
tenderness.Thecombinationofmintandyoghurtcreatesarefreshingcontrasttothe
lamb,andtheroastedvegetablesaredrizzledwiththedrippingsfromthelamb.
Do try this dish, enjoy the festive season and haul out a bottle of wine as well!

SPICED ROAST LAMB LEG

SERVES 4-6

Beginthisrecipeatleast4hoursahead.

You will need a meat thermometer.

2.9kglambleg(bonein)

(^1) / 4 cup(60ml)extravirginoliveoil
500gbaby potatoes, halved
2 bunches heirloom baby carrots
(substitute Dutch baby carrots)
600gJappumpkin,cutinto3cm wedges
1redonion,cutintowedges
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
8thymesprigs,leavespicked
1cup(280g)Greekyoghurt
(^1) / 2 bunchmint,leavespicked,finely
chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
1 tsp ground cumin
INDIAN SPICE MARINADE
4garliccloves,crushed
5cmpiece (25g) ginger, finely grated
1tbsgarammasala(Indian spice mix)
2 tbs ground coriander
2 tspeachgroundcumin,ground turmeric
andgroundchillipowder
1 bunch mint, leaves and stems finely
chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
1cup(280g)Greekyoghurt
11 / 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Forthe marinade, combine all ingredients
and^1 / 2 tspsaltflakesinabowl.
Scorelamb at 3cm intervals and rub
all over with marinade. Cover and chill
for 2 hours to overnight. Stand at room
temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
Preheatovento200°C.Grease3baking
trays and line with baking paper. Place lamb
on1preparedtray,drizzlewith1tbsoiland
roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C.
Roastlambforafurther1hour5minutes,or
untilinternaltemperatureatthethickestpart
is 54°C on thermometer. Rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile,30 minutes into lamb cooking
time, combine potato, carrot, pumpkin,
onion,garlic,thymeandremaining2tbsoil
in a bowl. Spread across prepared trays and
roastfor1hour5minutesoruntiltender.
Tomake the dressing, combine yoghurt,
mint, cumin and^1 / 2 tspsaltflakesinabowl.
Placelambandvegetablesonaserving
platter,scatterwithextramintanddrizzle
with some yoghurt and mint dressing.
54 delicious.com.au
MASTERCHEF.