DAILY DINNERS

Trim the very ends of the onions. Make an incision in each, from top to root, then another 0.5cm along, so you can cut out and discard a thin wedge (like you’re discarding a segment of orange). Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the onions. Boil for 10 mins, remove from the water and let cool. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

When the onions are cool enough to handle, carefully peel and set aside their outer layers – you want about 12-16 large layers in total, which will become the outer casing for the lamb filling. Discard the smaller, leftover layers in the middle

Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl and season well. Shape into 12-16 oval meatballs. Put each one on an onion layer and roll it up to create what looks like a small, peeled onion.

Pour half the olive oil into a large, shallow casserole dish or roasting tin, then arrange all the stuffed onions on top in a tight, single layer. Drizzle over the remaining oil and bake for 45 mins. Brush with the tamarind paste and bake for another 15-20 mins until the casings are really soft and dark golden brown. Serve with rice and herby yoghurt dressing on the side.