Lucknowi Lamb Galouti on Saffron Brioche Crumb

1. 01

   Bloom the saffron

   Warm 30ml of the milk until it steams — don't boil. Pour over the saffron strands in a small bowl and let them bleed their crimson silk for 15 minutes. The liquid should smell like autumn and spice.

   ~15 min
2. 02

   Build the galouti paste

   In a food processor, combine lamb mince, remaining 90ml milk, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies (split and deseeded), half the fresh mint (chopped), and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture is fine and paste-like — no grittiness, just velvet. Taste and adjust. Chill for 20 minutes.

   ~20 min
3. 03

   Toast the brioche crumb

   Tear day-old brioche into rough chunks, spread on a tray, and toast in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes until golden and dry. Blitz in a food processor to crumb. Warm 20ml ghee, pour over the crumb, add half the saffron milk, and toss. Set aside.

   ~12 min
4. 04

   Pickle the shallots

   Slice shallots thin (use a mandoline if you've got nerve). Layer in a bowl with salt and the lime juice. Let them soften and pickle while you cook the kebabs — 15 minutes minimum. They'll turn translucent and sharp.

   ~15 min
5. 05

   Mint chutney in a blink

   Pound remaining mint with a mortar and pestle, a pinch of salt, and a glug of the saffron milk until you've got a loose, fragrant paste. Leave it rough — texture is the point. Taste and add more lime if it needs a kick.

   ~5 min
6. 06

   Sear the kebabs

   Wet your hands. Divide the chilled paste into 8 equal portions and shape into patties about 7cm across and 1.5cm thick — think hockey pucks. Heat 40ml ghee in a heavy pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear kebabs 2–3 minutes per side until the edges catch and darken. They should have a crust but stay soft inside. Work in two batches if needed.

   ~8 min
7. 07

   Plate and serve

   Scatter saffron brioche crumb across the plate. Nestle 2 warm kebabs on top. Crown with pickled shallots, a dollop of mint chutney, and a few whole mint leaves. Drizzle remaining saffron milk around the plate. Eat warm, before it cools.

   ~2 min

First bite: the crust gives way to a paste so soft it dissolves on your tongue — lamb, cream, and the warm spice of ginger folding into saffron. The brioche catches the saffron milk and turns into a savoury cream beneath. Then the pickled shallot cuts through, sharp and vinegared, and the mint chutney cools and refreshes. By the last bite, you're tasting the layers together — a full conversation between luxury and restraint.

• ·Don't overwork the paste — pulse in short bursts or it'll become dense and rubber. You want velvet, not cement.
• ·If the kebabs are falling apart when you sear them, the mixture is too wet. Add 15g besan (gram flour) and chill again.
• ·Make the saffron milk the night before — it steeps and deepens. Reheat gently before service.