Instructions: Trim the leg of lamb if necessary.

Dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a heavy frying pan until they turn a shade darker and scent the room.

Tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

Grind to a powder with the cinnamon and turmeric.

Process to a paste with the garlic onion ginger and chillies and a few tablespoons of the yoghurt. Mix in the remaining yoghurt and oil and season with salt.

Rub the yoghurt paste all over the meat coating completely.

Cover loosely and leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 24 hours but if you can manage a full 48 hours so much the better.

Roast at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 allowing 34 minutes per kilo plus an extra 15 minutes (for pink meat).

For fully cooked meat add an extra 25 minutes cooking time on to the total.

Baste occasionally with the pan juices and if the crust threatens to burn protect it with a sheet of silver foil removing it for the last five minutes to crisp up the meat again.

Turn the oven off leave the door ajar and leave the lamb to rest for 20 minutes or so before carving.

Serve the roast lamb with basmati rice moistened with the roasting juices accompanied by fruit chutney.

Serves 4 6

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