These grilled tandoori lamb chops are so mouthwatering and delectable after marinating in a yoghurt and Indian tandoori paste…homemade and gluten-free!
What is tandoori?
Tandoori takes its name from the Indian charcoal oven, Tandoor.
The tandoori paste is used to marinate all types of meat, fish, vegetables and paneer, an Indian cheese. This paste is a blend of roasted spices, various spice powders, garlic, sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice and oil. This paste can be stored in a glass jar and topped up with oil to prevent a crust from forming on the surface. It keeps chilled for 2 weeks and can be used conveniently to prepare any tandoori dish.
Before planning a tandoori dish, keep in mind to allow two hours of marinating the chosen meat or vegetable.
To create this marinade, yoghurt and lemon juice are added to the tandoori paste.
How to grill tandoori lamb chops:
For an authentic charcoal flavour, similar to the results in a tandoor, it is ideal to grill them over hot coals. This method ensures a smoky flavour and a nicely charred appearance. The fierce heat seals the juices of the lamb and keeps the meat moist and tender. Try this method for a special occasion or at your next grill/BBQ party.
However, grilling them successfully in a domestic oven is possible and fuss-free by following my cooking temperature and times closely.
My method is to first oven-bake the lamb on a wire rack over a deep baking tray filled halfway with water (to catch the fat and reduce smoke) at 200°C/400°F for 13 minutes.
Switch the oven setting to Grill. Leaving the oven door slightly ajar, grill each side of the lamb chops according to your preference:
1 min on each side for Medium Rare
2 mins on each side for Medium
3 mins on each side for Well-Done
Brush any remaining marinade over the lamb to keep them moist during grilling.
How to serve tandoori lamb:
To savour the tandoori lamb chops, I recommend serving them just the way they come out of the oven or off the grill/BBQ, accompanied with a few lemon wedges, fresh mint leaves and freshly sliced mangoes, although this addition is an optional choice.
As part of a feast, adding plenty of side dishes will turn this meal into an appetising arrangement at the dinner table.
Some suggested side dishes to serve with tandoori lamb:
- Steamed or yellow pilau rice
- A fresh, simple salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions
- Yoghurt – mixed with some lemon juice and mint
- Mango and/or mint chutney
- Dal or Vegetable Curry
Many restaurants, especially outside India, serve tandoori dishes with a vibrant red hue to achieve a fiery, appealing appearance. However, this is often a result of adding synthetic red food dye.
Adding Kashmiri chilli powder will naturally, lightly colour the tandoori dish, but if you are after a redder colour, add some beetroot juice directly from the tin or jar.
Grilled Tandoori Lamb
Equipment
- oven-proof wire rack
Ingredients
Homemade Tandoori Paste (makes 150ml for 4 servings)
- 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp black pepper corns or freshly ground pepper
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp garam masala or sweet curry powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder or regular chilli powder11
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated, not the loose type)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or sunflower oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- Extra oil, to pour over the paste once stored in a jar
Grilled Tandoori Lamb
- 400 g lamb chops, trimmed to remove excess fat
- 125 ml Greek or thick yoghurt
- ¼ lemon, juiced & strained
- 150 ml homemade tandoori paste (recipe included) 150ml makes enough for 400g (4 servings)
- extra lemon wedges, to serve
- fresh mint leaves, to garnish
- freshly sliced mango, optional
Instructions
Homemade Tandoori Paste
- Dry-roast the seeds and peppercorns in a frying pan.
- Transfer them to a blender and grind finely.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice & oil.
- Once thoroughly blended, add the last four ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a glass container (the paste stains plastic containers) and pour a little oil over the top to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust.
Grilled Tandoori Lamb
Preparation
- Trim any excess fat from the lamb chops and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a medium glass bowl, combine the tandoori paste with the yoghurt and lemon juice.
- Add the lamb chops and marinate them for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Grilling
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Place a greased wire rack over a deep oven tray. Fill the tray with some water.
- Remove each lamp chop from the tandoori marinade, allowing any excess marinade to drip off before placing it on the wire rack.
- Cook the lamb for 13 minutes, then switch the oven setting to grill.
- Leaving the oven door slightly ajar, grill each side of the lamb chops according to your preference:1 min on each side for Medium Rare2 mins on each side for Medium3 mins on each side for Well-Done
- If needed, brush the lamb with some tandoori marinade while grilling.
- Remove them from the grill and immediately cover the lamb chops with foil to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving
- Arrange the grilled tandoori lamb on a platter and garnish with some fresh sliced mangoes and mint leaves.
- To accompany the lamb, served with some steamed or pilau rice; a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions; mango or mint chutney; yoghurt mixed with some lemon juice and mint, plus a dahl or vegetable curry.
Notes
Homemade Tandoor Paste
- The paste is suitable for freezing up to 6 months. To avoid staining plastic containers, transfer the paste to several snap-lock bags.
- Keeps for two weeks chilled.
Grilled Tandoori Lamb
- Keep chilled for 2 days
- The lamb can be frozen in the marinade for 3 months.
Liked it plenty :)
Thanks Guido! Good to hear!
My favourite way to eat lamb!