Recipe: Easter Lamb Roast

Easter Sunday is the ideal excuse for a rich roast dinner.

This year, indulge yourself with my recipe for juicy leg roast served with seasonal salad and sides of your choice. The condiments add a touch of flavour and the meat is so succulent, it literally melts in your mouth. I guarantee you will love it!

Preparation time: Overnight marination, 2 hours for cooking.

Serves: 3 to 4 people

Calorie Count: 200 kcal/100gms

For the meat:



For freshly ground spices:



Method

For freshly ground spices:

•  Toast the spices in a pan until their aromas are infused together.

•  Cool and pulse the spices together in a spice chopper.

•  Reserve 1 tbsp of the powder for sprinkling over the roast later.

For the meat:

•  Before purchasing the meat, ask your butcher to put diagonal gashes on the mutton leg and leave some fat covering it to give the roast a crispier finish.

•  Marinate the meat with lemon and salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.

•  In the meantime, toast the gram flour in a frying pan until it gives off a warm, toasty smell and set it aside.

•  Toast the spices in the same pan.

•  In a bowl, add the toasted gram flour and spices together with all the remaining ingredients except the oil and mix thoroughly.

•  Place the mutton leg in a large plastic bag and pour the paste on top, spreading it evenly. Tie the loose end of the bag and refrigerate the leg to marinate overnight.

•  After the required time has elapsed, take the leg out and put it under steam for about 25 to 30 minutes. In case the meat dries out too much, add a little water.

•  Once the meat is cooked, transfer it onto a baking tray along with the residue and bake it for 30 minutes in an oven pre-heated at 200C.

•  Halfway through baking, grease the leg with butter or oil and sprinkle the fresh ground spices on top.

•  You may also cut some potato wedges, cook them in the leftover marinade to go along with the roast.

•  Allow the roast to bake until it changes colour.

•  Once baked, serve it on a large platter, garnished with lemons, onion rings, coriander and potato wedges. Your Easter feast is now ready!

Saima Absar does her best to be a good wife, mother, community manager and citizen. She enjoys reading and holds a degree in media management. Follow her on www.pinterest.com/saimaabsar

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, April 20^th, 2014.