Bone-in curry, the way Indian home kitchens have always made it

Ask an Indian home cook why they leave the bone in a curry and you'll get a look that says the question answers itself. The bone is the flavour. Forequarter chops simmered whole give this gravy a depth that boneless cubes never quite reach, the potatoes stretch four chops into a generous dinner, and every spice on the list comes from an ordinary supermarket shelf. It needs a couple of hours of gentle burbling, most of them unattended, and it repays you with a pot that tastes even better tomorrow.

2 hrs 35 mins 4 servings Prep 20 minsCook 2 hrs 15 minsMain CourseIndian

Ingredients

  • 4 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb forequarter chops
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
  • 2 brown onions, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (more if your table likes heat)
  • 400g tin crushed tomatoes
  • 375ml water
  • 400g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 140g frozen peas (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • Salt to season
  • Steamed basmati rice or roti and fresh coriander, to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the chops for about 3 minutes each side; set them aside.

4 forequarter chops3 tbsp oil or ghee

Drop the heat to medium and cook the onions for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden — this is the body of the gravy, so don't cut it short.

2 onions

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.

4 cloves garlic1 thumb ginger

Stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

1 tbsp ground coriander2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp chilli powder

Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the oil starts separating at the edges — the sign the base is ready.

400g tin tomatoes

Return the chops, add the water and a good teaspoon of salt, cover, and simmer very gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, turning the chops once.

375ml water

Add the potatoes and simmer partly covered for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the meat is leaving the bone.

400g potatoes

Stir through the peas and garam masala for the last 5 minutes, then check the salt.

140g frozen peas1 tsp garam masala

Serve over basmati rice or with warm roti, scattered with fresh coriander.

Appears in

In every lamb share — Forequarter Chops (4 pack)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

Why the Bone Stays In

Across the subcontinent, meat curries are built on bone-in cuts by default, and the logic is pure kitchen economics: bones and connective tissue release gelatine and marrow-rich flavour into the gravy as they simmer, so the cheapest cuts make the best curry. The forequarter chop is tailor-made for it — shoulder meat with a bone through the middle and enough fat to carry the spices, which is what fat does in a curry. The other non-negotiable is the onions: ten patient minutes to deep golden, because pale onions make thin gravy. Your Farmer® forequarter chops come four to a pack in every lamb share, grass-fed on pasture, and if curry night becomes an institution you can add a second pack of chops to the box.

Swaps and Variations

A half tin of coconut milk stirred in with the potatoes takes it in a southern, softer direction. Whole spices at the start — a cinnamon stick, three cardamom pods, a bay leaf bloomed in the hot oil — add a layer the ground spices can't. For young eaters, halve the chilli powder and put a bottle of chilli sauce on the table for the grown-ups. And when you're ready for the slow-simmered beef cousin of this pot, our massaman curry is the next weekend project.

Storage and Leftovers

Like almost every curry, this one improves overnight as the spices settle into the gravy. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days; reheat it gently with a splash of water, and if the gravy has thickened too far overnight, a little boiling water brings it back without dulling the spices. It freezes for up to 3 months, though the potatoes come back a little softer — if you're cooking specifically for the freezer, stop before the potato stage and add fresh ones when you reheat. Leftover idea: shred the meat off the bones and fold it through the gravy with warm roti for a five-minute wrap.

The forequarter pack is one of the four staples in every box of our lamb subscription — this curry is the reason it never gets to the bottom of the freezer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use boneless lamb instead?

You can — diced shoulder works with the same timing — but the gravy loses the depth the bones provide. If you go boneless, a splash of stock instead of water claws some of it back.

The oil separated from the sauce. Is that a problem?

The opposite — it's the classic sign the tomato-onion base has cooked out properly. Indian cooks watch for it before adding the meat. Stir it back through or spoon a little off, whichever you prefer.

How do I make it milder for kids?

Halve or skip the chilli powder — the coriander, cumin and garam masala carry the flavour without heat. A spoonful of plain yoghurt on each serve softens it further.

Can I make it in the slow cooker?

Yes. Do everything up to the tomato base in a frying pan, then transfer to the slow cooker with the chops and only 250ml of water. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, adding the potatoes for the final 2 hours and the peas at the end.

What if I don't have garam masala?

It's in every supermarket spice aisle, but in a pinch finish the curry with an extra half teaspoon of ground cumin and a pinch of ground cinnamon instead.

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