Slow Cooked Lamb Shank and Aubergine Curry

Ingredients

Lamb Marinade:
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1/2 teaspooon of tumeric

Curry:
4 lamb shanks
4 brown onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder (hot if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes (more if you like it hot)
4 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of tumeric
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspon of cinnamon
2 tins of Italian cherry tomatoes
500ml of chicken stock
400ml hard creamed coconut cream (dissolved in a cup of water)
4 medium sized aubergines
Juice of two limes
2 tablespoons of runny honey
1 large bag of spinach
2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius.
2. For the marinade, mix the yoghurt and tumeric together and coat the lamb shanks. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Longer if you have time.
3. Once the lamb is marinated, heat a large based heavy casserole dish, add a little oil and brown the lamb shanks. Set the shanks aside.
4. In the same casserole dish fry the onions, garlic and ginger until soft and fragrant.
5. Add in all the spices except for the garam masala (cumin, cumin seeds, chilli flakes and powder, tumeric, cinnamon and ground coriander). Fry for one minute until fragrant.
6. Add in the chicken stock, tomatoes, coconut cream, lime juice, honey and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
7. Add the lamb to the casserole dish, make sure the shanks are covered with the sauce, put on a lid and pop in the oven for 4 hours.
8. After 4 hours, check the lamb. The meat should of completely fallen off the bones. Remove all the bones from the dish.
9. Cut the aubergine into long slices, brush lightly with olive oil and char on a BBQ or griddle pan.
10. Roughly cut the aubergine into smaller pieces, then add to the curry along with the spinach, chopped fresh coriander and garam masala.
11. Put curry back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
12. Add salt and pepper to season to your taste if required.
13. Serve with basmati rice, naan bread, mango chutney and raita.