Leftover Lamb Curry

A rich and tasty Leftover Lamb Curry that’s a perfect filling family meal, and a great way to make the most of all of that yummy leftover lamb.

I love Lamb. It’s got to be my favourite Sunday Lunch meat.

I love it with lashings of mint sauce, surrounded by roast potatoes and veg and covered in thick meaty gravy. So comforting and tender. 

Just, Yum. But, I also love Lamb in a subtle Greek marinade, slow-cooked so that it just falls off the bone, but juicy and packed with flavour. 

Lamb is expensive. Far too expensive to eat all of the time.

That’s why when we do have it, we like to really make the most of it. 

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There are no leftover Roast Lamb sandwiches for us. It’s Leftover Lamb Curry all the way! 

How Long Does Leftover Lamb Keep?

As long as your meat was in date when you cooked it, it should be fine kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, if you didn’t want to cook your Curry with Leftover Lamb on Monday. 

How Can You Tell is Lamb is Spoiled?

Of course, you should never make any Easy Leftover Lamb Curry Recipe if your roast lamb is spoiled or off. 

As with all meat, trust your instincts, even if it’s in date.

If your leftover lamb is off colour, smells funny, or feels slimy, throw it away even if it’s only been a day since you cooked it, instead of making a Roast Lamb Curry.

Can You Eat Leftover Lamb Cold?

Cooking with leftover meat isn’t your only option. If your meat is still ok, you could eat it cold in a variety of ways. 

I sometimes find that leftover lamb dries out quite quickly, which is why I prefer to cook it up in a sauce or marinade. 

Cooking with Leftover Lamb

Don’t get me wrong, we always make the most of leftovers. Even if we’ve had a £4 chicken, we save what’s left for another meal, and we freeze any leftovers from our midweek meals. 

I hate throwing food away and there’s usually no need. 

Sunday lunch leftovers are when you really get the chance to create another fantastic, and normally easy, filling family meal. 

I love leftover curries, stroganoffs, wraps, hotpots, pies, tagines and anything else I can think of.

I know people worry about cooking with leftover meat, and “can you recook lamb?” is something that is searched for a lot! 

But, as long as you are careful, and your lamb is in date, and kept in the fridge, it’s ok. 

How do You Reheat Leftover Roast Lamb?

You should always heat any leftover meat until it’s piping hot throughout. You can do this in the oven, sprinkled with a little water. Or, you could fry it in a marinade. 

I find that the best way to ensure your lamb is piping hot and safe, however, is to cook it in a sauce, like this Recipe for Leftover Lamb Curry.

Cooking your lamb slowly in a sauce means that it’s really tender, and also that it’s absolutely piping hot and cooked throughout. 

How Much Lamb Do You Need for a Leftover Lamb Curry?

If you were making a Lamb Curry with fresh meat, I’d say by a pack of diced lamb that’s at least 500g.

But when you make a Lamb Curry with Leftover Roast, you don’t always have that much choice. 

I certainly wouldn’t ever limit how much we ate on a Sunday. If you’ve got around 500g left, then that’s fantastic. 

But, work with what you’ve got and add some potatoes, or lentils to bulk it out if you want to. A Leftover Lamb and Potato Curry is lovely. 

Just peel and dice some potatoes into small chunks and let them cook in the curry sauce. I’d throw them in with the lamb. 

Is This Leftover Lamb Curry Spicy?

The sauce here is quite spicy, but not too bad. My kids liked it. If you want it milder, use less chilli powder, and if you prefer a creamy curry add a splash of double cream.

How Long Does Lamb Curry Take to Cook?

I let mine simmer away for a good 90 minutes. Slow Cooking Lamb Curry like this means that the lamb is deliciously soft, and the flavours really get a chance to develop. 

But as the lamb is cooked already you can eat it as soon as it’s at the right consistency – the longer it simmers, the thicker and creamier the sauce will be.

I recommend cooking as long as you can, but, as long as the meat is piping hot, you can eat it. 

How Long Does Leftover Lamb Curry Last?

Leftover lamb curry will last for a few days. 

But, when reheating leftover meat, every time you cool and reheat the risks grow, and the quality decreases.

Personally, I wouldn’t store leftovers from a curry made with leftovers in the fridge to reheat again. 

Can You Freeze Curry That’s Made with Leftover Meat?

You can freeze lamb leftover curry, and this is probably safer than keeping it in the fridge. 

Remove it from the cooking pan and place in a clean, sealable tub and leave to cool completely. Seal the tub and place in the freezer.

Then when you are ready to reheat, thaw slowly in the fridge, and heat gently until the meat is piping hot. 

Again, I’d only reheat it once. There’s lots of information on freezing and reheating leftover food here. 

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 People

Leftover Lamb Curry

Print

An easy, tasty curry. Perfect for using up leftover lamb.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g Leftover Roast Lamb - chopped into Chunks
• 2 cm root ginger
• 2 Onions - Chopped into 4
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
• 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
• 2 tsp Chilli Powder

Instructions

1. Use a food processor to blend the onions, garlic, ginger and 200ml water into a smooth puree
2. Pour this puree into a lidded pan or dish on the hob
3. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes
4. Remove the lid, stir and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes until green and reduced
5. Add the lamb and spices and stir
6. Pour in the tomatoes, fill the tin with water and add
7. Stir and bring to a simmer
8. Reduce to a simmer and leave for 90 minutes stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed

Notes

Use as much lamb as you have leftover. Ideally around 500gs. Add potatoes, chickpeas or spinach if much less.

Serve with rice or naan breads.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 34g

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors.

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