INGREDIENTS
•    6 lamb shanks
•    100g sliced onions
•    1 tsp ginger paste
•    1 tsp garlic paste
•    1 tsp garam masala
•    50g sour yoghurt
•    100ml oil
•    1 tsp tomato purée
•    3-4 bay leaves
•    3-4 cinnamon sticks
•    3-4 cardamom pods
•    1 tsp turmeric powder
•    1 tsp chilli powder
•    2 tsp cumin powder
•    1 tsp coriander powder
•    ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
•    1 tsp poppy seed paste
•    50ml ghee
•    Salt, to taste
•    Fresh coriander, for garnish

METHOD

1.    Begin by finely chopping four small onions. Crush a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger and 5–6 garlic cloves using a pestle and mortar. You want a coarse paste here, not too smooth.
2.    Place the lamb shanks into a pressure cooker along with the chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic, about 1½ teaspoons of salt (roughly eyeballed), and 1 tsp of garam masala. Add around ¾ of a pint of water.
3.    Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and cook for about 1 hour in total. Check halfway through – give everything a stir and top up with a bit more water if it looks too dry.
Note: If you’re unfamiliar with pressure cookers, bear in mind you’ll need to safely release the built-up pressure before opening the lid.
4.    After the first 30 minutes, have a peek at the shanks (again, only if using a pressure cooker). If they still seem tough, add around another ¼ pint of water and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes.
5.    If you’re not using a pressure cooker, you’ll need to simmer the shanks in a regular pot for about 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Once you add the spices later, give it another 30 minutes of simmering. If the meat still isn’t tender to your liking, you can continue gently cooking until it is.
6.    For the next stage, take a large, wide pan (you’ll need the space to stir the shanks around easily) and heat 100ml of oil.
7.    Once the oil’s hot, toss in the whole spices – bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods. Let them sizzle until aromatic.
8.    Carefully transfer the lamb shanks and cooking liquid from your pressure cooker into the wide pan. If you’re using a regular pot, just continue in the same one.
9.    Add the ground spices: 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, 2 tsp cumin powder, and 1 tsp coriander powder. Stir well to coat the shanks in all those lovely spices. Fry uncovered over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop anything sticking or catching. The onions should break down further and the spices will begin to coat the meat beautifully.
10.    After frying, add water depending on how much gravy you’d like in your curry. Bring everything to a boil, then cover the pan and let it bubble away on a medium–high heat for another 10–15 minutes.
11.    If your shanks still aren’t quite melt-in-the-mouth, no problem – just reduce the heat and let them simmer gently until they are.
12.    Finally, check the seasoning – add more salt if needed – and stir in the sour yoghurt, roasted cumin powder, poppy seed paste, and the ghee for that final rich touch.
13.    Garnish with plenty of chopped fresh coriander just before serving.
And there you have it – a rich, aromatic lamb shank curry with bold, dhaba-style flavours. Serve hot with naan, chapati, or rice. Proper comfort food!