Chop the onions fine. Cut the lamb into 1/2x2-inch pieces. Soak the saffron threads for 20 minutes in 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Fry the almond slivers lightly. Peel and chop the ginger.

Heat half the ghee or melted butter in a large saucepan. Add the medium-sized onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until it is golden brown. Add the meat and the yoghurt and stir to mix. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer the lamb for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 175 °C/350F/Gas 4. Meanwhile prepare the spices. Put all the ingredients for the space paste into an electric blender. Add 2 tablespoons or more of water or yoghurt and blend until the mixture forms a puree.

Heat the remaining ghee or melted butter in a flameproof casserole. Add the spicepaste and fry, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add a spoonful of water and stir until the butter is separated from the spices. Add another spoonful of water and fry for a minute. Add the meat and yoghurt mixture and stir to mix. When the mixture comes to the boil cover the pan tightly and place it in the oven. Reduce the heat to 140 °C/275F/Gas 1 and cook for 1 hour. Remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the saffrom and the soaking water and the slivered almonds. Increase the heat of the oven to 150 °C/300F/Gas 2 and return the casserole uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Serve hot.

the Great Regional Dishes of the World. Mitchell Beazley Publishers 1974. This edition: Spring Books, London 1988. Isbn 0 600 55929 7. Typed by Heiko Ebeling.