Indian-style barbecue lamb cutlets with mint and coriander chutney

Name: Indian-style barbecue lamb cutlets with mint and coriander chutney
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: For the lamb; 12 lamb cutlets or chops; Squeeze lime juice; 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; Ghee, melted, to drizzle; Chaat masala to sprinkle (from large supermarkets and online); Lime wedges and shallot rings to garnish (optional); For the marinade; 125g medjool dates, pitted; 100g sultanas; 45g ginger, roughly chopped; 15g garlic, roughly chopped; 2 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped; 1½ tsp ground cardamom, plus extra to serve; 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant; 75g lemon juice; 50g caramelised onion paste (we like Belazu Flavour Hacks); 150g greek-style yogurt; 50g double cream; For the chutney; 50g coriander, roughly chopped; 30g mint, leaves picked; 2-3 green bird’s eye chillies; 4 garlic cloves; 3cm ginger, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; ½ medium green (unripe) mango, peeled and chopped (optional); ½ tsp black salt; 1 tsp chaat masala; 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a hot dry pan until fragrant

Portion size: Serves 4-6
Prep time 15 min, plus overnight marinating. Cook time 10 min
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

Aktar Islam

Michelin-starred chef

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Impress your guests with this special Indian barbecue recipe from chef Aktar Islam. Barbecue juicy lamb cutlets in a sweet, spicy and aromatic marinade and serve with a zingy fresh mint and coriander chutney.

Marvellous marinade: This is a special, yogurt-based marinade that lets the flavour of the lamb shine through. The balance of sweet, hot aromatic and hot flavours is stunning, and the overnight marination means the lamb is super tender.
Make ahead: You need to start this recipe the day before, for the overnight marinating. The chutney is best made fresh, or at least within an hour of it being eaten (it does start to discolour quite quickly).
Aktar’s BBQ hack: Marinades can stick the food to the grill. To counter this, Aktar wraps root veg in foil (carrots, a halved celeriac, whatever’s past its best in the fridge) to create two raised platforms to suspend skewers between. By doing this, you can easily turn the food without worrying about it sticking.

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Ingredients

For the lamb

12 lamb cutlets or chops
Squeeze lime juice
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Ghee, melted, to drizzle
Chaat masala to sprinkle (from large supermarkets and online)
Lime wedges and shallot rings to garnish (optional)

For the marinade

125g medjool dates, pitted
100g sultanas
45g ginger, roughly chopped
15g garlic, roughly chopped
2 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
1½ tsp ground cardamom, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
75g lemon juice
50g caramelised onion paste (we like Belazu Flavour Hacks)
150g greek-style yogurt
50g double cream

For the chutney

50g coriander, roughly chopped
30g mint, leaves picked
2-3 green bird’s eye chillies
4 garlic cloves
3cm ginger, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tamarind paste
½ medium green (unripe) mango, peeled and chopped (optional)
½ tsp black salt
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a hot dry pan until fragrant
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 ice cubes

Specialist kit

Metal skewers (or wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 min)
Barbecue

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Method

Day one

Put the lamb in a bowl with the lime juice, ginger-garlic paste and a pinch of salt. Mix to coat and leave in the fridge for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, put all the marinade ingredients (except the cream) in a food processor and whizz to a smooth paste. Stir in the cream to loosen, then season to taste with salt.
After 2 hours, coat the lamb in the marinade. Cover and put in the fridge to marinate overnight.
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Day two

Take the lamb out of the fridge and let it come back to room temperature. Light the barbecue.
To make the chutney, Put all the ingredients in a blender with a pinch of salt and whizz until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
When the barbecue is hot/the coals glow white, skewer pairs of cutlets/chops (so it’s quicker and easier to turn them), then cook them on the barbecue for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Remove the lamb from the grill, drizzle with the ghee and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve the lamb sprinkled with chaat masala and ground cardamom, with lime wedges, shallot rings and chutney on the side (if you like).