Recipe: Indian rack of lamb from Jai Ho

From the menu of … Jai Ho - Indian Kitchen & Bar, 560 Dutch Valley Road NE, Atlanta. 404-458-6888. jaihoatlanta.com/

It’s not easy to find rack of lamb on Atlanta restaurant menus, but it’s one of my favorite cuts of meat. Jai Ho’s is delicious, just spicy enough and perfectly tender. Will they share the recipe? — Dema Calder, Atlanta

This rack of lamb is one of the signature entrees at Jai Ho. The recipe for this rack of lamb and pilaf is the creation of executive chef and owner Anish Nair and has been on the menu since the restaurant’s opening in 2017. Nair drew inspiration for the dish from a French chef he worked with. “It’s a very important dish in French cuisine but not very common to Indian cuisine.” Nair adapted the recipe to incorporate Indian flavors like garlic, cumin, Indian masalas and a tandoor oven.

The restaurant’s Dutch Valley location has reopened its patio for dining, with limited first-come, first-served seating. Curbside pickup and delivery are also available from the restaurant’s Krog Street Market and Dutch Valley locations.

In our photo, the lamb is plated as it would be at the restaurant with a carrot puree drizzled with mint and blackberry aioli, and served with a combination of sauteed peppers, onions, tomatoes and ginger.

Jai Ho’s Kadai Denver Rack of Lamb with Mint Rice Pilaf

Make the ginger-garlic puree by mashing 2 cloves of garlic with a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger to make a paste. Push the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any strings from the ginger.

Jai Ho’s Kadai Denver Rack of Lamb with Mint Rice Pilaf

1 (18- to 22-ounce) rack of lamb
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic puree
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Mint Rice Pilaf, to serve (see recipe)

Cut lamb into chops and trim meat, fat and membranes off the top few inches of each individual rib.
In a small bowl, combine salt, ginger-garlic puree, coriander and cumin. Spread over all sides of the chops, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a cast iron skillet over very high heat, sear each chop until brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. Arrange chops in a roasting pan. Continue until all chops are cooked. Allow chops to rest 15 minutes then finish in oven 8 minutes for medium-rare or 12 minutes for medium-well. Remove from oven and serve over Mint Rice Pilaf. Serves: 2

Nutritional information

Per serving: Per serving: 690 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 43 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 55 grams fat (24 grams saturated), 184 milligrams cholesterol, 2,630 milligrams

Mint-Rice Pilaf

1 1/4 cups basmati rice
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Soak rice 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed rice with water, mint, ghee, cumin and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Makes: 4 cups

Nutritional information

Per serving: Per 1/2 cup: 124 calories (percent of calories from fat, 12), 2 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 74 milligrams sodium.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.

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