1 leg of spring lamb, weighing about 1½ kg

For the marinade

250g Greek style yoghurt

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

2 onions, sliced and fried until crisp

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

1½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil

 

For braising

6 bay leaves

2 tsp royal (black) cumin

5 no green cardamom

3 cinnamon sticks approximately 2inch each

1 tsp salt

1 cup malt vinegar

Water

 

For the filling

60g khoya (reduced milk cakes, available in Indian stores), grated

60g Montgomery’s cheddar, grated

4 dried figs, cut into 5mm (¼-inch) dices

4 dried apricots, cut into 5mm (¼-inch) dices

1 tablespoon raisins

2 tablespoons cashew nuts, roasted and crushed lightly

2 tablespoons almond flakes, roasted

2 tablespoons pistachio, roasted and crushed lightly

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped

4 green chillies, chopped

½ teaspoon royal (black) cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

juice of 1 lime

Trim the excess fat off the lamb and, if your butcher hasn’t tunnel-boned it for you, remove the thighbone by cutting around it carefully with a carving knife to leave a cavity. Prick the leg on the outside with a fork.

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Rub the marinade over the leg of lamb, both outside and inside the cavity, and leave for 15 minutes.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients and then use it to stuff the lamb leg. Truss the leg using a butcher’s needle and twine to close the open part completely.

Transfer it to a roasting tray and add the ingredients for braising. Add enough water to cover the lamb leg, cover the tray with tin foil and place in an oven preheated to 175°C. Cook for about 2 hours until it is very tender and ready to fall off the bone. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down. Remove the leg from the liquid and allow it to dry, cool and keep aside. Pass the juices through a strainer and reserve to make a sauce.

Cut the meat into slices 1cm (½ inch) thick and serve with accompaniments of your choice.