Why not try something different this Easter? For many families, roast lamb is the go-to dish for dinner on Easter Sunday, going back into Jewish history and the time of Passover – rooted in symbolism, rather than prized for its seasonality, prior to popular belief. But while there’s nothing wrong with standard roast lamb recipes, this spiced leg of lamb is a delicious alternative for an Easter feast, served with spiced Bombay-style roast potatoes.
Marinaded overnight in Greek yoghurt and a blend of spices inspired by Indian tandoor dishes, the lamb is roasted until slightly pink inside but with a gorgeous crust of fragrant spices. As for the potatoes, they’re heavily inspired by classic Bombay potatoes, par boiled with turmeric then roasted with cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, cayenne pepper or chilli powder and black mustard seeds.
Serve the roast leg of lamb and potatoes together, finished with a pinch of roughly chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice over the potatoes.
Roast leg of lamb cooking tips
Dependent on how pink you like your roast lamb, the cooking times will vary. A general rule is to roast in a very hot oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and continue to cook for around 15-20 minutes per 500g of lamb. If you have a probe thermometer, you can also check the internal temperature of the roast lamb. At 55C the lamb will be medium-rare or well done at 70C. Don’t forget the meat will continue to ‘cook’ as it rests.
Resting your roast lamb is absolutely crucial. Rest for 20-30 minutes lightly covered with foil before carving and serving.
Shoulder of lamb can also be used for this recipe. While the preparation and other ingredients will remain the same, shoulder needs to be cooked for much longer at a lower temperature.
Chilli powders can vary greatly. For this recipe, I use cayenne pepper for consistency, but you can use any type of chilli powder, adding more or using slightly less than the recipe suggests, based on personal taste.
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 1.8– 2.5 kg whole leg of lamb
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped/minced
- ½ green chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 lemon juice only
- Sea salt
For the potatoes
- 1.5 kg potatoes peeled
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 lemon juice only
- Neutral cooking oil such as rapeseed or vegetable oil
- Sea salt
To garnish
- 1 handful fresh coriander roughly chopped
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the marinade for the lamb. Add the yoghurt to a bowl or resealable bag large enough for the lamb and add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic, green chilli, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
- Using a sharp knife, make slits all over the lamb to help the marinade penetrate the meat further. Rub the yoghurt mixture all over the lamb then leave in the fridge to marinade for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight.
- Once ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220C/200 fan/gas 7.
- Place the marinated lamb in a roasting tin, over a rack, and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, decrease the heat to heat to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and continue to cook for around 15-20 minutes per 500g of lamb. If you have a probe thermometer, you can also check the internal temperature of the roast lamb. At 55C the lamb will be medium-rare or well done at 70C. If the lamb begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil to prevent the crust from burning.
- Once cooked remove from the oven and rest for 20-30 minutes loosely covered with tin foil.
- While the lamb cooks, prepare your potatoes by peeling and cutting into thick slices. Add to a pan of boiling water alongside ½ tsp turmeric and a generous pinch of salt. Par-boil for 10 minutes, until fork tender.
- As the potatoes boil, pour a generous drizzle of oil into a roasting tin and place in the oven to heat.
- Drain and leave to dry completely before transferring to a large bowl. Pour in the flour, cayenne pepper, garam masala, ground coriander and ground cumin, then mix until well combined.
- Remove the roasting tin from the oven and add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the hot oil. Stir gently, then carefully pour in the potatoes. Season with salt then place in the oven with the lamb. As soon as the lamb comes out of the oven, increase the temperature to 200C/180 fan/gas 6. Cook for around 40 minutes in total, turning occasionally, or until cooked to your liking.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, squeeze over some lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander.
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