Tandoori lamb chops on a sizzler plate is the kind of dish that makes a Tuesday feel like an occasion. Spanish lamb takes a marinade like it was born for one — thin, quick-cooking chuletillas that char at the edges and stay pink in the middle. Add a cast-iron sizzler plate arriving at the table hissing like it has something to say, and you have something that looks considerably more complicated than it actually is.

I'd been thinking about tandoori lamb chops for a while. Proper ones. The kind that arrive at the table still spitting. There's no tandoor oven in rural Andalucía – or none that I've found – but there is a plancha in my outdoor kitchen and a large gas ring to get the sizzler screaming hot. That's enough.

The sizzler plate cost me 14.46 euros online. Fifteen euros, more or less, and suddenly a whole category of cooking opened up. If you don't have one, a scorching cast-iron pan works — but the theatre of the wooden base and the handle is half the point.

The marinade uses beetroot powder for that deep tandoori red—it is not always easy to find in Spanish supermarkets, so I ordered mine online. It's worth tracking down; it gives the chops their colour without staining your hands or overpowering the spice mix. The rest of the marinade is straightforward: yoghurt, lemon, olive oil and warm spices. Thin chops only need an hour or two — they don't need babysitting.

If you enjoy Spanish lamb chops in a more local style, my Chuletillas de Cordero is worth a look — same cut, very different journey.

Tandoori Lamb Chops - The Marinade

Enough for 8–12 thin Spanish lamb chops

• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt or Spanish natural yoghurt, drained a little
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaped tsp beetroot powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1–2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• ½ tsp salt

Mix everything together until smooth. Coat the lamb chops generously and leave to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Cooking the Tandoori Lamb Chops

Cook on a hot plancha or grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly charred. Rest for a couple of minutes while you prepare the sizzler.

The Sizzler

The Sizzler preparation is the part worth doing properly.

• 1 onion, sliced
• Fresh coriander
• Lemon wedges
• Sliced green chilli — optional

Get the cast-iron sizzler plate blisteringly hot on a gas ring. Scatter the sliced onion directly onto the metal — it should hiss immediately. Lay the rested lamb chops on top. Finish with fresh coriander, a squeeze of lemon, and chilli if you want heat. Serve on the wooden base while it's still going.

FOOTNOTE

This tandoori lamb chops recipe is part of the Lamb & Goat collection — lamb and goat recipes from Casa Adora and the road.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.