Manchester's Curry Mile speciality: marinated lamb cutlets cooked over open charcoal. Mughli's focal pit produces the canonical version; ginger-garlic-yoghurt marinade.

Mughli on Wilmslow Road built its reputation around a focal charcoal pit after opening in 1991. The lamb chops, marinated overnight in ginger, garlic, yoghurt and spice and cooked over coals to medium-rare, became the dish the Curry Mile is best known for in the city. Other restaurants on the strip adopted the same template; the BBC's Curry Mile documentary made Mughli the canonical Manchester spot for it.

Where to eat Curry Mile lamb chops in Manchester

1 editor pick for Curry Mile lamb chops in Manchester, ranked by editorial score. All Manchester signature dishes · Curry Mile lamb chops across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 413 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 12 lamb cutlets or rib lamb chops (3 per person), trimmed
  • For the marinade: 250g full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 3cm fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil (or sunflower oil)
  • Chaat masala to finish
  • Lemon wedges and mint chutney to serve

Method

  1. Whisk all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the lamb cutlets and turn to coat thoroughly.
  2. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24.
  3. Light a charcoal grill. Let the coals burn down to a hot bed with white ash, around 30 minutes.
  4. Lift the cutlets from the marinade and shake off the excess. Place over the hot coals.
  5. Cook 3 minutes per side for medium-rare; the bones char and the fat crisps. Move to a cooler part of the grill if the marinade burns before the lamb cooks.
  6. Rest the cutlets 3 minutes on a warm plate.
  7. Dust with chaat masala. Serve with lemon wedges and mint chutney.

Editor tip. The 24-hour marinade is what separates okay chops from the Mughli version. Yoghurt tenderises and spices penetrate; rushing the step gives a flat result.

Common allergens: Dairy.