Barbecued spiced lamb shoulder with beetroot raita

Serves 6

lamb shoulder about 2kg
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp yoqhurt (take l tbsp out of the raita amount if it saves you buying a whole tub)
naan bread to serve

Raita:
1 small beetroot, about 80g
200g Greek yoghurt
oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
handfull curry leaves
½ tsp niqella (kalonji seeds)

1.  Cut deep slashes all over the meaty side of the lamb down to the bone. Mix the spices, garlic and yoghurt then rub it all over the lamb. Season well and leave to marinate while you heat the barbecue. Heat a good amount of coals on the barbecue and when they are white hot and look ashy, lay the lamb on the grill bone-side down. Cover with a lid (if your barbecue doesn't have a lid use a wok lid or double layer of foil). Turn the lamb over after 25 minutes and give it about 45 minutes in all. Check it is cooked and then rest it for 30 minutes somewhere warm.

2. If you want to cook it in the oven, heat it to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the lamb on a rack over a roasting tin and cook for 45 minutes. Turn the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and keep cooking for 3O minutes. Rest loosely under foil for 30 minutes before carving.

3. Meanwhile, peel and grate the beetroot. Mix it with teh yoghurt. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a small pan, add the mustard and nigella seeds and curry leaves and heat until the seeds start to pop. Pour over the yoghurt and mix in. Season with salt. A lamb shoulder is tricky to carve, but the bone in it should help you slice and pull the meat off. Serve with lightly barbecued naan breads and the raita.

Nutrition per serving: 595 kcals, protein 46.8g, carbs 3g, fat 44.3g, sat fat 21g, fibre 0.4g, salt 0.4g

(Olive magazine - August 2013)