Sides for Spicy Lamb or Chicken
A question people often ask when serving spicy lamb curries (like Raan or Roasted Lamb Shanks, Lamb Biryani) or even spicy chicken curries is what makes a good accompaniment.
Spicy Indian food will always have a cool accompaniment that is commonly yoghurt based for North Indian cuisine, or coconut milk based for South Indian or Ceylonese cuisine.
There are no hard and fast rules, and you have a range of chutneys that you can choose from, including typical ones like mint chutney and coriander chutney in Northern Indian cuisine.
Cucumber and Tomato Chutney
For South Indian or Ceylonese cuisine, my favourite is the classic from the Banana Leaf Restaurants, Cucumber and Tomato Chutney (Villayrikkai Takali Pachadi in Tamil). From the time I was a child, this was a must have whenever we ate Banana Leaf Cuisine. It just goes wonderfully well with spicy chicken or mutton dishes, and obviously lamb too.
In its classic form, coconut milk is used. People consume less coconut milk nowadays and yoghurt makes a delicious substitute that will please the health conscious.
The attached recipe for Cucumber and Tomato Chutney is pretty much self-explanatory. I have suggested 1 – 2 cups yoghurt. One is typically enough for us, but if you want more yoghurt by all means use two cups.
If you choose to use coconut milk instead, you will probably want 2 cups and should expect to add more lime juice, perhaps a tablespoon.
When squeezing out liquid from the cucumber, use steady pressure and squeeze, allowing the liquid to drip away. This actually makes the cucumber nice and crunchy. Do not mash the cucumber when squeezing, no need for the Incredible Hulk here.
You can serve the dish immediately when ready, but I always chill it for a couple of hours because it is simply delightful with spicy lamb when chilled.
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