A taste of Bengal

This recipe is adapted from a Bengali cooking channel on YouTube. “This style of cooking is exactly how my family cooks in India and how many families in Bengal cook every day,” Avneesh says. “The YouTube channel has been a sort of teacher to me, and has helped me explore my roots through traditional Bengali cuisine.”

1kg goat, pieces with a good proportion of meat, fat and bones are essential. This recipe uses raan (leg), but meat from the seena (ribs) is also good.

Mutton can be used if you don't have access to goat meat, just ensure there are bones, which add to the flavour.

2 tsp cardamom

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 pinch of mace

½ tsp peppercorns

1 bay leaf, torn

2 dried red chillies

1 medium-sized onion

2 cloves of garlic

100g plain yoghurt

3 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp shahi garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground Kashmiri red chilli

100ml water

5 garlic cloves

5 green chillies

1 tbsp mustard or vegetable oil

4 dried red chillies

6 bay leaves, chopped

10 green cardamom pods

1 black cardamom pod, or 2 tsp ground cardamom

10 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 large red onions

2.5 tbsp crushed ginger

150-200g plain yoghurt

2 tsp sugar

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp ghee/clarified butter

Add all the shahi garam masala spices to a dry pan and cook for five minutes on a low-medium heat, stirring constantly.

Add to a blender and blend to a fine powder. Set aside.

To marinate the meat, put all the marinade ingredients into a blender and mix to form a smooth paste.

Put the meat and the marinade into a bowl and mix until the meat is covered.

Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours, but take it out before you start to cook to bring it to room temperature.

In a bowl add the coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chilli and water. Mix and set aside.

Crush the garlic and the green chillies to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat until it starts to smoke, then add dried red chillies and bay leaves. Cook for a minute or two then add the green and black cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon.

After another minute or two add the red onion and fry for about 15 minutes (with the lid on) until brown, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Then add the garlic/green chilli paste and the ginger and cook for five minutes.

Now add the coriander spice mix and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the meat to the pot. Brown it on high heat, stirring often.

Mix the yoghurt to ensure it is lump-free and add it to the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium.

Season with salt and sugar.

Stir the meat often to avoid burning.

Over the next two hours, add a couple of tablespoons of water, stir, cover the pot, uncover and scrape the bottom of the pan and repeat.

When you are happy with the cook of the meat add more water based on how much gravy you want.

Once cooked, take off the heat and add ghee/clarified butter and stir.

• Serve with rice or roti.